Anything can be compared, including a saw & hammer. Like a saw/hammer, it
sounds like the *value* of the comparision
is more in line with what you're after.
In short, what I hear you asking is this: "Is Crystal Reports or Excel more
robust at redering my data in meaningful ways?"
If I hear you correctly, then the answer is Crystal Reports, hands down.
That product was built to do just what you're asking.
It can pull data from several different databases (not just one) and create
the reports you need. And its functionality far outpaces
Excel for what its supposed to do.
Here's the vendor website:
http://www.businessobjects.com/products/reporting/crystalreports/default.asp