An important part of the logbook design is the ability to use many different database engines, this is acheived by using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).
You do not need to install any extra software to use the logbook - Microsoft Access (part of Windows) is the default database.
You can easily move data between databases, so you can switch to MySQL later on if you so desire.
Access
Access is designed as an end user/small workgroup database platform.
MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server
MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server are database engines used by medium and large enterprises. They provide an engine for storing the data. The advantage of an enterprise database is:
- Greater speed,
- Robust database design resulting in better database integrity,
- Database replication,
- Networking - the database can be on a computer somewhere else on your network.
MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server support large databases (> 10,000 records) far better than Access and are typically 3x to 5x faster.
Recommendation
Start with Access (the default) and switch to MySQL later on if you so decide.