Rating: 
Summary: Time consuming to install and negligible improvement.
Review: The installation is tedious and non-obvious. Moreover there is no succinct description in the documentation as to how to migrate files from version 2001. The default installation script for Windows XP did not function without some modification. And Norton Personal firewall must be turned off, while down loading all the patches and up-dates of which there are many. The only reason to buy this product is because Intuit's 2001 version will not function with contemporary versions of Internet Explorer, therefore if you use a current version of Explorer, and are doing a re-install of the product, you are forced into the up-grade, which for my business, offers no, as not any, value added, features.
Rating:
Summary: UN-Intuit-ive
Review: This is a perfect example of a good program gone from bad to worse... I started using Quicken when it first came out over a decade ago and thought it was great. I upgraded to QuickBooks and eventually to QuickBooks Pro '99 due to business needs. But I won't upgrade again. I have used the upgraded editions with other clients and have decided NOT to upgrade for my own business use because of the following problems which have been brought to the attention of Intuit, but which have NOT been addressed: 1. LOUSY and expensive customer support, often for problems due directly to Intuit errors
2. Constant addition of fees for what should be basic accounting processes (pay roll, tax forms, etc.) AND lack of adequate notice that these fees will be encountered until after purchase has been made
3. Yearly upgrades that do not offer better program usability but DO cost more and more each year
4. Forced upgrades by "Dropping" of support AND cancellation of on-line banking capabilities for all "outdated" versions of the program (which are often better than the newer versions)
5. Lack of true versatility for business users - i.e. can't really change the invoice forms to work for a variety of businesses billing in a variety of ways
6. Lack of compatability with other commonly used programs - i.e. unable to import / export with most MS Word and MS Office functions Finally, I object to a strong trend I am seeing with QuickBooks - It is becoming the exclusive realm of the "professional" bookkeepers. There are expensive classes, "QuickBooks" consultants and accountants who will gladly teach you how to use the program, set up your books for you and require that all your year end business records be submitted in QuickBooks - or they won't touch your taxes. All for a fee of course! If you can't keep your own books, then you shouldn't be in business and you certainly shouldn't waste your time with this product.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for the small business.
Review: This is an excellent software bundle, yet does have some drawbacks. Obviously this is the 5 User bundle, so the ultra-small business owners that only need 1 copy should find the single user copy. For multiple users, this is an excellent value. Quickbooks offers a multitude of options for almost everything you need to integrate with various other tools, as well as customize your ledgers and forms for your business. It includes a powerfull inventory management system, and is also quite effective for your payroll and general accounting. Well worth every cent in time saved over other similar products. Quickbooks has proven far superior for my small business administration, which is in the field of computer sales. I have used all 5 licenses, 1 at home, and 4 at the office, as this is an excellent software bundle for use in inventory tracking, AP/AR, and for working out the nuances of taxes. Contact your accountant and see if they offer a discount if you can provide your books and ledgers in Quickbooks format, as many in my area offer various discounts and incentives as it greatly eases the paperwork load on them. This helps them to both handle your money more effectively, and accurately.
Rating:
Summary: Time consuming to install and negligible improvement.
Review: Well, I have just spent 2 hours reading reviews on various Quick Books products,and was very supprised at the number of negative reviews. I have used Intuit products for years. I was using tax software back in the days of Mac-in-tax (before Intuit owned it). I do income tax preparation and keep my business records on Quick Books 2002 for windows. I don't know how I could survive with out their products. I also use Pro Series for income tax preparation, as well as Turbo tax for all the "freebes" I do for family and friends. (All of which are Intuit products). I can not recall ever having any of them crash. In another life when I was Controller for a large Corporation, we had to buy new software to solve the Y2K problem. The company purchased a BIG NAME accounting package. The up front cost with trainning and set up was $50,000! That's right, 50 THOUSAND, and I was never able to get a financial report from it. I had to "run" the general ledger, then pick the data out and enter it in Excel to get a financial statement. Then, I discovered Quick Books when I started my own business. I was amazed that for a few hundred dollars I had a very competent accounting program that gave me INSTANT financial reports in almost any configuration I could think of. I will admit there is a learning curve to using the software, but you have that with any new software. I was able to teach myself how to use the software,(no calls to tech support though there were times when I really wanted to). With a little work, I was soon very proficient with it. The information is availible in the documentation. However, that route is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend that new users who can afford it get some tranning before striking out on your own. All in all I must say that Intuit products, or at least the ones I have used are excellent,and very inexpensive when compaired to many alternatives. But that is only my personal opinion, but one that comes from experience, and I don't even own the stock, but that is another story.
Rating:
Summary: QuickBooks Pro 2002
Review: Well, I have just spent 2 hours reading reviews on various Quick Books products,and was very supprised at the number of negative reviews. I have used Intuit products for years. I was using tax software back in the days of Mac-in-tax (before Intuit owned it). I do income tax preparation and keep my business records on Quick Books 2002 for windows. I don't know how I could survive with out their products. I also use Pro Series for income tax preparation, as well as Turbo tax for all the "freebes" I do for family and friends. (All of which are Intuit products). I can not recall ever having any of them crash. In another life when I was Controller for a large Corporation, we had to buy new software to solve the Y2K problem. The company purchased a BIG NAME accounting package. The up front cost with trainning and set up was $50,000! That's right, 50 THOUSAND, and I was never able to get a financial report from it. I had to "run" the general ledger, then pick the data out and enter it in Excel to get a financial statement. Then, I discovered Quick Books when I started my own business. I was amazed that for a few hundred dollars I had a very competent accounting program that gave me INSTANT financial reports in almost any configuration I could think of. I will admit there is a learning curve to using the software, but you have that with any new software. I was able to teach myself how to use the software,(no calls to tech support though there were times when I really wanted to). With a little work, I was soon very proficient with it. The information is availible in the documentation. However, that route is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend that new users who can afford it get some tranning before striking out on your own. All in all I must say that Intuit products, or at least the ones I have used are excellent,and very inexpensive when compaired to many alternatives. But that is only my personal opinion, but one that comes from experience, and I don't even own the stock, but that is another story.
Rating:
Summary: And you STILL can't print "tear-off" invoices...
Review: What is Intuit doing with all of its time? Did they lay off so many people that only marketing types are left? While this upgrade adds many "fee service oriented" features that help Intuit's bottom line, they still miss BASIC problematic issues....such as the inability to print out the invoice number or totals twice when customizing customer invoices (so one can go on the invoice and one can go on the tear-off-sheet) Their fee-based support is really annoying also, especially when you're just needing help with a crash that is THEIR FAULT. So many simple improvements keep getting skipped every single upgrade... and I recommend you look closely before you upgrade.
Rating:
Summary: No Choice - upgrade or switch!
Review: While Intuit had a good thing going, they have gone the way of Microsoft and added bad toys to a good program. Instead of getting better, 2003 has become overloaded for an average business user. The accountants are bound to be happy, as by the time the next version comes out, the average user will require an accountant to utilize the program. Now we are informed, on very short notice, that we HAVE TO UPGRADE TO HAVE PAYROLL SUPPORT! Otherwise Intuit no longer cares about you as a customer. And you'll notice that the price has skyrocketed! And customer support is nil without a large cash infusion into Intuit's pocket. My review: Time is ripe for competitors to step in and steal customers. I'm placing a sell order on my stock...and I will be looking a another accounting package for my needs. I may pay more, but I'll get a better program with REAL customer support.
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