iWork adds Numbers & other updates

[sandbox]

Eventually I’ll be moving the Leopard and new hardware which will require me to upgrade most if not all my software and I’m looking for solutions that will allow me to eliminate some of it, like Filemaker for example, which I use only for time & billing. MS Office also has a template that can be used for time & billing among other things. Since MS Office, thus far, is irreplaceable in the business world I thought I would attempt to try to use its resources and move away from programs that I can do without. I have a full Adobe Suite though I only use Photoshop and GoLive, another under utilized packaged product that I could live without.

If I eliminate programs I don’t use I can justify purchasing programs that I will.
Upgrading filemaker is $179 …upgrading adobe $799 and that’s just the beginning. I have Timbuktu but would rather have “Remote Desktop” so I’m reluctant to upgrade Timbuktu, hoping to try something new! (Poetry, don’t you luv it!)

A brief history of Filemaker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filemaker

Anywho… Numbers will probably be attractive as a stand alone product, I’m just a bit disappointed that it’s not the Compatible Product that some were led to believe.

[kps]

If all you need is time billing, there are plenty of stand alone solutions.

Doing a quick and dirty search on VersionTracker, I found Billable. Pretty slick little app that imports clients from your Mac OS AddressBook, has a builtin timer and prints/tracks invoices...all for $25.

There's plenty of more complex solutions out there and even good 'ol FileMaker comes with time-billing templates. I guess it depends on how complex your needs are, the level of automation and integration you require and how much $$$$ you're willing to lay down.