Is there any advantage to using Access over Excel for a simple database
containing names, addresses, phone numbers and basic biographical
information? I will eventually want to create mailing labels from the
database and extract email addresses to send group emails.

Ask an Access person this question and they will respond "You should never
use Excel for a database!"

Ask an Excel person this question and they say, "Why, sure you could do it."

My response would be: it depends. You say that the database will be simple.
But how much data are you talking about? Thousands of names? Or much less?
Also: do you contemplate making the database more complex over time?

If you are dealing with a lot of data, or you think that this database is
the genesis of something more complex, then Access is probably a safe bet.
Else, use Excel.

Dave
--
Brevity is the soul of wit.


"KatieVolunteers" wrote:

Is there any advantage to using Access over Excel for a simple database
containing names, addresses, phone numbers and basic biographical
information? I will eventually want to create mailing labels from the
database and extract email addresses to send group emails.

Katie

I have used both and don't remember much difference although querying and
filtering seemed easier using Access but that could be my failing memory.

I stick with Excel now because I learned how to make double-numbered raffle
tickets using Excel and Word's mailmerge.

Some things are just more important than others<g


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:58:01 -0800, KatieVolunteers
wrote:

Is there any advantage to using Access over Excel for a simple database
containing names, addresses, phone numbers and basic biographical
information? I will eventually want to create mailing labels from the
database and extract email addresses to send group emails.

Katie,

With Access, you can store the data and make your mailing labels (it's a
Report, and there's a wizard for labels). Pulling the data you need is
easy. In Excel, you'll have to use Word or Access to do the labels (either
can use an Excel list) , unless you want to write macro code in Excel (why
bother?). The Mail Merge in Word also has querying capability to pick the
records you want. If you don't already have Access or Excel, consider
putting the list in a Word table and doing it all there. Or use Excel (if
you already have it) for the list, and Word for the labels using the Excel
list.
--
Earl Kiosterud
www.smokeylake.com
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"KatieVolunteers" wrote in
message ...
Is there any advantage to using Access over Excel for a simple database
containing names, addresses, phone numbers and basic biographical
information? I will eventually want to create mailing labels from the
database and extract email addresses to send group emails.