Reasons to use Crystal Reports*:

Write reports on all different types of databases, from Excel spreadsheets to Oracle databases.
Built-in Experts to help you quickly return summaries, filter data, and make easy-to-read reports.

Report distribution is extremely flexible with all the formats to choose from.
Parameter reports that prompt you for criteria… this gives you great flexibility in reports!
Crosstab (pivot) reports are easy to work with and format for great looking reports!
Charting capability is extremely great and easier to work with than most programs.
Very powerful, fun to work with, and will make you a better report writer period.

*Solely based on the opinion of Robin Cooper* who has been teaching it, reporting with it since Version 6.

Robin’s thoughts on Crystal Reports.

Crystal Report is my reporting program of choice! If I were to have to choose between any others I would always, always choose Crystal. Why? It boils down to this: Things that take me forever to accomplish in Access Report writer take me 2 or 3 clicks in Crystal. Things that are impossible to do in other programs are easily accomplished with a tool like Crystal Reports!