Checksoft 2004 Home & Business

Rating:
Summary: A Total Waste of My Money
Review: After purchasing this product, I couldn't get it to successfully install the font that is required to run the program. I uninstalled, rebooted, reinstalled until my patience ran out. I figured "no bid deal, you can always call customer support to get help." Then I found out you have to pay per minute to speak to customer support because as the company explained, "tech support has not been figured into the price of the product." Well, not wanting to pay more money than I already have into this product, I resorted to ordering my checks from the bank.

Rating:
Summary: QuickBooks compatibility
Review: This product claims compatibility with QB but doesn't deliver. QB will not export data in a format acceptable to Checksoft; Checksoft will not import data from QB. Tech support is a joke ... $25 for first 10 minutes ... forget it. I spent too many hours this week trying to get this to work and it just isn't worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Not as Bad as the others say - but could be better
Review: While looking for a different deposit slip template (it only comes with one) I ran across a couple reviews here saying how bad this software is.
I've been using this for my office for the last year or so, and I gotta say that I don't have any serious complaints. While I haven't called the overpriced tech support, I was able to figure out how to format a check pretty much however I want it to look. I'm sure it could be made to be MUCH easier, but it works if you put in the time (TOO MUCH in my opinion to set it up) and know some computer/word processing basics. Once it's set up, it works fine though. I haven't had a problem with day to day use.
HOWEVER, I had actually forgotten what a PITA this program was to set-up until today. I just changed banks, and needed to set-up my new accounts. The set-up problem is that unless you want to use the sub-par templates, you need to design your own template - for EACH kind of check stock you use. You can't copy and paste between templates either, so you have to do each one seperately. Even with just basic type setting it took me over an hour to do one kind of check stock (3 to a page) I still need to do the 1 to a page/voucher checks. Of course, you also have to do one style to print a blank check, and another style ("compatible") to do Quicken compatible checks. So I have 3 more check styles to design. :(
The best thing I can say is that once it gets set up, it works. (you just have to select the "Check Designer" driver as the printer you send the checks to in Quicken, and if you use more than one acocunt, you need to be careful to select the right account when "Check Designer" gets called up)
Since this is the only check design software I've used, I'm not sure if other brands would be any better. However, if I had it to do again, I'd probably spend a few extra bucks and get a more widely recognized brand and hope it was more user friendly.