Spreadsheets are a pretty good tool, and I've used them to sling data along with databases, scripting languages, and compiled programming languages. However I always feel like there should be a next generation ad-hoc data tool coming along that preserves the accessibility of a spreadsheet, while expanding capability in a more manageable way. Once you start needing or wanting capabilities of a programming language, you're stuck in the of the confines of what the spreadsheet framework provides, or need to mostly abandon the spreadsheet to make the leap of putting the data into some other programming environment. It's not hard, and we aren't lacking in ways to make the leap, but it seems like there should be a better way.
David Pollak (of Lift fame) is working on a re-envisaging of the spreadsheet called Visi [1]. One of his aims is to provide a bit more structure and verification, without compromising usability by non-technical people.
IMO, Access is closer to a spreadsheet than a Database and fills that need fairly well. (By that I mean how the UI is setup and what it focuses on.) IMO there is a huge opertunity for a similar interface and a much better back end. Something like sharepoint + access.
I have built a couple enterprise one-off tools on Access and at the time (6 years ago) it was fantastic - easy to get access to remote databases, sync to local stores, run complicated data reports or structure entries using forms so that anyone can use it and it would look nice. I think Google docs + forms fills some of this function now, but I still think that was some of the most raw fun I have had using code to quickly and efficiently solve a business problem.
