upgrade Xcelsius 4.0 workgroup? and Tips on live data?

I just unearthed a copy of Xcelsius 4.0 workgroup that I bought a few years ago and used for a while.

I see that Xcelsius has moved on somewhat over the last few years and I was wondering what my upgrade paths were, if any.

I read somewhere that a free upgrade to 4.5 was acheivable when it came out. Is that still the case? What sort of improvements can I expect, and do the even newer versions go even further?

I also want to learn more about live data connectivity. I know a LITTLE bit about databases, and my web host does NOT support SQL. Do I have options to use MDB files? Is there a step by step tutorial anywhere which would show me everything from creating the access database to viewing the swf online. I believe I need some sort of XML generator. That's where I get lost.

any info is greatly appreciated.

thanks

Guy