My comments in TidBITS-341 about building a database into the system for applications to use hit a chord with readers. A number of people wrote in with additional comments and ideas. Alex Sirota offers an additional requirement to my suggestions for what features are essential for a relational database system: Another requirement that you didn't mention is a structured language with which to manipulate the contents of the database system

Apple has shoehorned every feature short of the kitchen sink into the increasingly misnamed iTunes - surely that means the program is a classic example of bloatware? Or is it? Kirk McElhearn, who has written numerous articles and books about iTunes, examines the charges that iTunes is bloated to see if they're valid.

After checking out some dedicated programs, Charles Maurer settles on FileMaker's new list manager Bento for managing his wine cellar.

This week's discussions are all over the map, and it's a good map to follow. Readers discuss the latest Microsoft Office upgrades, archiving a Time Capsule, several aspects of MobileMe, and more.

Notable software releases so far this week include Apple's Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update, Typinator 3.2, Mac HelpMate 2.6, Undercover 2.5, OpenOffice 3.0, Flash Player 10, Live Interior 3D 2.0, and Bento 2.0.

Notable software releases this week include BusySync 2.1.9, Bento 2.0v3, and QuickTime 7.5.7.

FileMaker Inc. has released Bento, claiming it's "the personal database that's as easy to use as the Mac." Database consultant Jeff Porten takes the preview release for a spin and finds Bento conceptually interesting but unwilling to stray far enough from the FileMaker fold.

This week's discussions revolve around Leopard's firewall and other security issues, hosting a Web site on .Mac that doesn't come from iWeb, and reactions to recent TidBITS articles, among other topics.

Want to keep track of your golf scores, your vintage vinyl album collection, or your shopping list while on the go? FileMaker, Inc. has just released Bento for iPhone and iPod touch, a handheld version of the company's affordable Mac database application that works on its own or syncs with your desktop databases.

Many early iPad apps are little more than what you'd get running an iPhone app with its pixels doubled - stretched-out user interfaces with more space, but nothing new. Not so for the Bento personal database app, available now for your shiny new iPad.

The iPad is a Big Deal for Apple and the Mac ecosystem, and our coverage of its release this week surpassed the levels of text that even we are willing to inflict upon our dear readers. In case you read TidBITS only in email, however, we want to make sure you don't miss a lot of great material. We'll likely publish these articles at some point in the future, but if you want to stay on top of everything we're covering this week, head over to our Web site. (And we encourage you to leave comments on these articles, too!)

Notable software releases this week include ClickToFlash 1.5.3, BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac 1.0, VMware Fusion 2.0.6, Camino 1.6.10, Growl 1.2, BusyCal 1.0, PDFpen 4.5, Typinator 3.6, Bento 3, and iWork '09 Update 3.