I agree.
MS Access was NEVER intended for serious database applications. If you do not
want to use a commercially available collections management package, I suggest
building your own, using an industry standard such as Paradox or Foxpro. (I
prefer the latter, as, at least in my limited experience, the statistical and
other programs you might want to use with it are more directly linkable - but I
may be incorrect in this.
It is not at all hard to build and design the basic data base. and if you want
to have classy custom input or report forms and don't want to do these
yourself, it is not hard to find a contractor to do them for you - at
reasonable cost.
Harry Needham
Canadian War Museum