Disagree. Cornerstone from Infocom was, in fact, very easy to use.
Progress (the full-blown multi-volume gigabyte professional monster) was, in fact, easy to use. (My old workplace had it.)
And, worse, I do have experience! I was the Progress database admin, and I did Progress programming. I know data structures, reports, data-entry screens, etc.
And Access was still too damn much for me, and MySQL is making my life unhappy too! It’s as if the programmers went out of their way to make things difficult and unpleasant!
(In contrast, I picked up Excel and Word with very little difficulty. I do still have some issues with headers and footers.)
For a simple, flat-file database any spreadsheet works fine; I used to keep a copy of the first generation of Quattro for DOS around because it made the cleanest .CSV files for use with other software. Learning a full-bore DBMS to just track your media seems excessive, but it could be entertaining as you learn the intricacies and vocabulary. I know many Dopers are proud they are not normal, but a relational database needs to be.
While I’ve never used it - it seems silly to enter all that stuff by hand for something that is basically made for this. I can’t really think of anything else that is so easy to automatically get the other data for.
If you wanted to do it yourself You could probably even write the code in excel with a lookup using ISBN on amazon for all the metadata. All you’d have to record is the ISBN/UPC code.
If the question is only spreadsheet vs database - I vote for spreadsheet. There is no need for a database here.
I’d definitely try something like sandra_nz mentioned - I think I had a friend rave about a program he used to do this - over 10 years ago - and if memory serves - we even sold something like this around 20 years ago at the software store where I worked (although memory is a bit hazy - and would have probably not been very comprehensive).
One possibility with Access is to do a search for prebuilt templates so you don’t have to write your own db. Perhaps you will get lucky and find a good match.
I use an Excel s/s to list my 2500+ music cds, currently entering only track 1 song title, performer, genre, album title, # of tracks, cost, production co., serial #. It started as a QuattroPro s/s but I converted to Word. (No, I don’t own a “pod”) (Mostly '50s, '60s pops, instrumentals, classical, humor, patriotic/military, etc., if you’re wondering.)
I use several M/S Word tables to list my 5000+ books by genre, author, title, edition if 1st, & size cost.
I bought Access several versions back and got so frustrated with it I never used it.
(I know, I know, like the recent cartoon strip showing kids looking at their toy box- “Everything we own is obsolete!”)
Puns like that are an argument against going to the trouble of learning the ins and outs of a relational DBMS (Data Base Management System for the OP). They aren’t funny enough to be worth the trouble.
Also, you can get some relational structure in Excel.
For instance: music. You can have a “master” table for albums, and then a “detail” table for the songs on those albums. Use a serial-number for the key, and you’ve all but created a “database.”
There are lookup functions that work across tables. Even a schlub like I can do it!
Excel will connect other databases to pull data in. Under the Data tab, click Connections…
Oracle offers a free version of their software: Oracle Database Express Edition which is free to develop, deploy, and distribute. For that matter so does Microsoft SQL Server which would probably be much easier to use.
But to answer the OP… I think everything you describe would best be done in Excel. Your needs just aren’t that complicated; and Excel offers a lot of powerful ways to visualize your data.
I just list all that stuff in a plain-text notepad file. Whenever I need it, it is easy to scroll down to any item, or if I want to edit it. I can even email the data to myself, simply copy/paste, in the text body of the message, so it is accessible on any online device.
I won’t judge you. I’m not a serious player, but I have an app I paid for.
If you have a smartphone, there are some nice apps designed to help with this specifically, plus much more.
Mostly they are designed to help with deckbuilding. They will also show you all the cards you don’t have and permit searches on many criteria, including text. They will also let you know the going price of cards, which can be handy, even if you aren’t buying.
Some are free, some cost. It can be worth it for a ggod one. Some have add-ins (which cost) which allow you to get cards in by camera. I have not gone so far as to put my collection into the app, but if I do, I will probably get this.
At any rate, maybe you don’t want a giant superfile with ALL your stuff, but different things for different puposes. You know, a password manager for those, a thing for records and books, a thing for Magic cards, etc
For your login/password/security question data, I highly recommend a purpose-built solution. There are a number of good solutions out there, but the top 3 I know of are:
[ul]
[li] 1Password (this is what I use) Browser integration, stores logins and notes, generates arbitrary secure passwords. Stores all data in its own database, which can live in Dropbox (or iCloud if you have an account) so it can automatically sync between machines. One time cost for software.[/li][li] Lastpass - Web-based password manager. Full featured. Subscription model.[/li][li] KeePass - free, open-source. Haven’t used it, but I suspect it’s not as polished a user experience, if it’s like most of the open-source software I use.[/li][/ul]
I’m not a serious player, but I have an app I paid for.