A handheld is the ultimate Rolodex and card catalog, but sometimes you want a catalog of catalogs. For those times, Larry Garfield takes MobileDB for a spin.
Many types of Palm application break down to specialized card catalog-type programs, optimized for some particular task or field. And then there are general database programs like MobileDB from Handmark, which offer customizable card-catalog-esque files for any variety of application. MobileDB offers a decent set of features and customizability with a good interface, but is missing a few features we'd like to see.
The handheld
MobileDB is a straightforward program, with a clean, intuitive interface weighing in at only 118 KB. The main screen lists the available databases on the device, each of which is a card catalog unto itself. Databases can be categorized, deleted, or beamed to another handheld, as can the program itself. The list view can also show either the size of each database or the number of records it contains.
 | MobileDB supports basic card catalog style databases
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When creating a new database, the user can add up to 20 fields, each of which may be of one of seven types. MobileDB does not include database-to-database linking, so field types are limited to various textual, numerical, and specialty types such as date, time, checkbox, auto-increment sequence, and list. The list type lets the user specify a set of options for a select box. Fields can also be resorted via the menu.
Each database also has two main views, a list view and a record/edit view. The list view is simply a grid of the records in the database, with records as rows and fields as columns. If a database has enough fields, as most will, only the first few will display on screen at a time and a set of navigation arrows will become available to scroll left and right through the fields. The first field in the database is always displayed, as a header for the row, while the others cycle through. The user can resize the width of a given column by dragging a control on the right side of each field name.
The user can also sort records by up to three fields ascending or descending, which reshuffles the entire database. New records are added in proper sort order. A find function is also available. There is also a filter function, but it is sadly very limited. The user can filter on only three fields, using either an "AND" or "OR" on all of them, and filters cannot be saved. The program does not support "views", or saved filters, so users will have to remake a filter each time they wish to use it, a major oversight. Records added while a filter is in effect are also excluded from the filter, so they will always display until the filter is reapplied.
When editing a record or adding a new record, the record is shown as two columns, fields and their values. When selecting an existing record the user is first presented with an uneditable view until they tap the "Edit" button, preventing accidental changes. On the whole the handheld app is clean and straightforward, but relies very heavily on the menus, which is generally considered bad practice. Filters, sorting, and so on are available only via the menu, not via any on-screen buttons.
 | MobileDB supports simple data types only, with no inter-database linking
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MobileDB does not take advantage of any of the Palm OS high-resolution or high-density screen systems, but functions well on all of them. The only exception is a few small redraw errors on the PalmSource High-Density screen on the Palm Tungsten T while in Left Handed Mode, but no showstoppers. We would still like to see the errors cleared up, of course. Another problem is that the Date field uses the Palm's internal date type, so it cannot handle dates before 1904. While normally not a problem, it does limit the usefulness of historical databases.
Handmark also manages a free online archive of MobileDB databases. Most are user contributed, and while the collection is not as HanDBase's archive, it still includes several hundred free databases, many with extensive data.
The desktop
MobileDB is available only as a Windows or Mac installer because of its desktop component. Since the program functions fine without it, however, the lack of a ZIP file-packaged version is disappointing. There are three versions of the download for Windows, each containing a different set of utilities.
One contains MobileDB for the Palm and MobileDB-PC, a Windows application that duplicates most of the functionality of the handheld version. The second contains MobileDB, MobileDB-PC, and a hook for MobileDB to hook into Microsoft Excel. The third contains MobileDB, MobileDB-PC, and a desktop applet to convert tables in Microsoft Access into MobileDB databases and vice versa.
There is no unified installer that offers both Excel and Access support for Windows or Mac. The Windows demo version is three separate components, but the Macintosh demo version is a single download that includes both the Excel and FileMaker tools. Why that is, we don't know. Note that there is no MobileDB conduit, so it relies on the Palm Install Tool for all transfers and backups.
MobileDB-PC can create new databases, edit them, and save them anywhere on the desktop, with all the same functionality as the handheld version. It also supports importing and exporting databases to and from Comma-delimited, semicolon-delimited, and tab-delimited text files. However, if the user edits a file on the desktop that is in the user's backup directory, the changes will not propagate to the handheld. The user must explicitly tell MobileDB-PC to queue up the edited database for installation as a new database, which will overwrite the old version with the same name. It works, but is a bit sloppy. If multiple users are present on the same PC, the user will also have to take care to which handheld he is installing the file.
 | MobileDB's list display is uncluttered and simple
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The Excel hook for MobileDB adds a MobileDB menu to Excel, which offers basic import and export features. Importing a MobileDB database will create a new workbook with the contents of the database placed on the first sheet. The user can also export either an entire sheet or just a selected area to create a new MobileDB database. When exporting, the user can select which columns should map to what new fields, although the program does a reasonably good job of guessing what the field type should be. The user can also have the database automatically installed to any user.
The Access applet lets the user select an Access database and a single table within it to export to a MobileDB database. As with the Excel hook, the user can specify which fields in the table map to what fields in MobileDB, and select a user to which to install the database. The user can also convert a MobileDB database into a table in an existing Access database.
Unfortunately, there is no synchronization between the handheld file and the desktop file (Excel or Access) after the database has been installed.
Conclusion
MobileDB is a good choice for users who want flexible, customizable card catalog-type databases. The program is fast and responsive, although we would prefer less dependence on the menu, and saved views are a necessity. The desktop support is decent, although the lack of a conduit with full synchronization can be irritating. Keeping files in sync only requires an extra two clicks, but it's still annoying.
MobileDB is available now from the Handmark web site for Windows and Macintosh. The basic version for the Palm (with MobileDB-PC on Windows only) is $19.99 USD. The Excel hook and Access/FileMaker versions are $29.99 USD each, but there is no version with all three utilities. A 14-day demo version is also available.
- What's positive: Simple design, adequate features, small size
- What's negative: No saved views, no conduit
Overall: 
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