I haven't actually tried Access 2007 in much detail yet, but I do look forward to it.
While I wouldn't call Access the "gold standard" of databases, I also wouldn't call it a toy database, and I've got to admit that I actually do think of Access as being more powerful (at the cost of some friendliness, unfortunately, but you can never have everything) than FileMaker Pro.
Of course, if Access is a toy database, the real databases are the MSSQL and Oracle types, that aren't even accessed directly, but through a web or custom application, or are looked at with a command-line interface tool.
For a long-standing custom database with a lot of records and relatively unchanging needs, I can understand how any older database system would be fine. I've heard of libraries that are still working with custom software on Apple IIs as circulation terminals. I forget exactly what they were using as a server, quite possibly that was also an Apple II. Although I don't know how many patrons they were serving or how big their collections were, because I can imagine handling even a moderately sized library collection with even just a hundred patrons would get really tedious really quick. (Actually, the example used to be on the KOHA website, or in a LinuxJournal magazine I bought long ago, I thought.)
While I wouldn't call Access the "gold standard" of databases, I also wouldn't call it a toy database, and I've got to admit that I actually do think of Access as being more powerful (at the cost of some friendliness, unfortunately, but you can never have everything) than FileMaker Pro.
Of course, if Access is a toy database, the real databases are the MSSQL and Oracle types, that aren't even accessed directly, but through a web or custom application, or are looked at with a command-line interface tool.
For a long-standing custom database with a lot of records and relatively unchanging needs, I can understand how any older database system would be fine. I've heard of libraries that are still working with custom software on Apple IIs as circulation terminals. I forget exactly what they were using as a server, quite possibly that was also an Apple II. Although I don't know how many patrons they were serving or how big their collections were, because I can imagine handling even a moderately sized library collection with even just a hundred patrons would get really tedious really quick. (Actually, the example used to be on the KOHA website, or in a LinuxJournal magazine I bought long ago, I thought.)