ICT AND ME

Another great use of access is that you can ‘Query’ something specific and it will show you all information to do with what you queried, this saves a lot of time because you don’t have to search through your entire database and you can get lots of information very quickly.

What is it?

It is a relational database management system made by Microsoft with a graphical user interface. It had a database that you can search and record things on it. You can also query to find specific things faster. It is made from rows and columns that you can create categories and rules for which makes a table which makes it easy to compare data in a big chunk.

Advantages

An advantage of Microsoft access compared to Paradox (an alternatative to access) is that it very easy to use whilst Paradox is not. You can easily work out how to use it without having to read instructions. The next advantage is that you can ‘Query’ things to find out something specific in a database. Access comes free with most computers or can be bought and upgraded very cheaply and easily.

Disadvantages

If you have a lot of information it can get hard to find things even with the ‘Query’ button because you may get lots of things coming up if you do not search very specifically. Access is quite similar to a Excel so knowing how to use Excel first would be very useful when learning how to use Access. The only other disadvantage could possibly be the cost as the newer version, Microsoft office access 2007 would cost you around £200 which is quite expensive for a relatively simple application.

Evaluation

My dad uses Access for many things at work from working out pay to how much he has spent himself. He uses it to deal with other companies when he needs to work out how much of something he needs to buy and how much it will cost, The ‘Query’ button makes this easier because he can quickly check how much of something he has or needs. It also allows you to share information by putting a database on the internet so other people can see it and find out about his company. My dad and his company all use Microsoft Office Access 2007 because it saves a lot of time and money and it is very efficient and useful.