>>>>>Hi everybody,
>>>>>
>>>>>What would be the simple to implement and easy to be used by an average end-user add-hoc Reporting tool?
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks a lot in advance.
>>>>
>>>>SQL Reporting Services?
>>>
>>>I watched the session last night on Reporting Services and IMHO it's not that easy for the average user.
>>>
>>>Also, I'm missing the very first step (it was done very quickly at that session) - how do I actually start the project? Can you explain the initial steps before I try to use it?
>>>
>>>Thanks again.
>>
>>I'll try to get you some pointers on this tonight. I don't have SSRS available here at my daytime job..
>
>Great - because I may play with it tonight at home as well. I have SQL Server 2008 Express installed with Advanced Tools.

Here's a fast start..

http://alexduggleby.com/2008/07/18/sql-server-reporting-services-2008-tutorial-in-5-minutes-or-how-to-send-my-boss-a-report-from-a-view-quickly/

Or a bunch of Microsoft tutorials (SQL2005 based but pretty much the same in 2008)..

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms170623(SQL.90).aspx

Ad hoc reporting one way or another takes prep work. With SQL2005 and up you don't have to add anything to your database at all - you (the developer) can set up SSRS datasets for your users to slice/dice/etc, or you can let the users do the whole thing. It is very flexible and FREE.