TurboTax Deluxe 2002

Rating:
Summary: Still a great product
Review: I've used competing products, and TurboTax is the best. I was able to find more deductions and complete my returns quicked this year using the Deluxe edition. I had an issue with product activation when I replaced a failing hard drive, and TT's online tech support was able to fix it in less than five minutes. I have a CD-RW drive (newer model), and I use MS Word 2000, and product activation hasn't caused any problems on my system. TT is still a great product, and I plan to use it again for 2003.

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this product
Review: Bought TT Deluxe on the spur of the moment one day ....

I tried to install my copy of TT Deluxe. Had problems - install quits with no error message. Contacted Intuit online support. When they discovered that I have a home network, their response was "We don't support such an environment" and "TurboTax 2002 program cannot be used in a network". TT 2001 worked fine in the same environment. Their advice? Return product for a refund. What are the odds that they will reimburse for sales tax and shipping?

I have since found out about the activation "feature", had I known I never would have bought the product to begin with.

Rating:
Summary: Insulting Spyware Policy
Review: TurboTax's new SpyWare policy is an insult to honest
customers.

Yes, I realize that there's a lot of "pass this on
to your friends" going on with tax software. But
nasty spyware, that doesn't even uninstall when
the TurboTax program is uninstalled, is uncalled
for.

And I am not someone disappointed I have to pay
for this software. I buy my software, thank you very
much, because I write software, and believe developers
have a right to be paid for their efforts.

Unless you have a very specialized return that requires
a feature only available in TurboTax, I suggest using
TaxCut. For the most part, the major tax software packages
are interchangeable, and TaxCut doesn't use draconian
licensing procedures.

Rating:
Summary: Who's Stuffing the ballot box?
Review: I saw a whole slew of positive responses regarding this product at the end of January. They all look suspiciously similar. Anyone who rates this product better than 1 star either :

1) Doesn't understand the C-Dilla and privacy issues.
2) Works for Intuit.

I have owned Intuit products for both Mac and Windows machines for many years. One of the first things I do around Christmas is look for the new release of Quicken and Turbotax. This year I am stunned by the audacity and ill considered actions of Intuit with regard to their copy protection scheme. C-Dilla not only is installed on your machine, but stays there after a "normal uninstall".

I have personally had the reported problems with my CD Burner subsequent to installing Turbotax/C-Dilla. At this point I am still trying to find a work-around for it.

...

Rating:
Summary: Switching to TaxCut next year
Review: My gripe relates exclusively to the activation scheme, which includes surreptitious installation of a rogue program called C-Dilla on your hard drive.

I've been using TT for roughly ten years. The program itself is great, but I'm strongly opposed to the aggravation of the various activation processes used by Intuit, Microsoft and others. I concur with the need for software developers to protect themselves against piracy, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of honest consumers. So, next year I switch to TaxCut.

Rating:
Summary: I hate this product
Review: I have used Turbo Tax for the last five years. This new software destoyed my computer. Their tech help was terrible. Damm Intuit. Don't buy this product. Get the word out.

Rating:
Summary: TurboTax Deluxe 2002 by Intuit
Review: Nothing but problems since the installation. I ended up reformatting my hard drive to make software work correctly after installing TurboTax. I will never buy Turbotax again.

Check out TaxCut from H&R Block instead.

Rating:
Summary: What happened to Intuit?
Review: I have used this for years, on my old workhorse PII at home. This year Intuit, in showing a total lack of intuition has overworked a SIMPLE application. My computer can no longer handle TurboTax which was proven when it (a 233) continually locked up or ran at 100% when trying to use this app. I called the help desk, and guess what? they charge now, so I hung up. I was left with a delema, a new computer or a new app. I bought TaxCut, and now I wonder what I was doing with TurboTax for all these years. Much faster and easier to use app. Does the same thing TurboTax used to do but better and at a lower price. Guess who gets my money from now on...

Rating:
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Review: I'd give TurboTax a middle grade. I understand Intuit's concern about inappropriate copying, but I don't like the scheme they've chosen. On the other hand, I also think that they have gone some way to correct the worst parts of that scheme and I have seen no evidence of the alleged spyware aspects. The functional part of the software is basically good, but is not as easy to use as I'd like. I had one technical glitch, for which support was no help, and I really dislike chat-based support rather than primary free phone support.

The copy protection would have been completely unacceptable to me if it had continued to be impossible to access forms mode on a computer other than the one activated for print/e-file, or if the need for activation/re-activation had not been changed to expire after October 15th (allowing printing of previous year's return from a new machine, for example). Otherwise, Intuit provided me enough information to know that if I wanted to work on one machine, then print off another, I needed to activate the software on the printing machine, then install on the working machine. I'm still not terribly happy about the memory footprint of the copy protection, which persists until actually uninstalled, whether I'm running TurboTax or not.

The activation method (sending a random number, getting back a matched code) doesn't appear to qualify as spyware, and my firewall hasn't detected any unauthorized attempts by C-Dilla to phone home.

The product itself is much as in past years, reasonably easy to use, occasionally maddening. (Just try to figure out where in the interview to go back and modify the amount of a moving expense reimbursement not reported on a W-2! I run into something like that every year.)

The process to purchase and download state software (2 states) froze up after I'd authorized the purchase, but when I tried it a second time it recognized that I'd already paid and ran to completion, and I haven't been double-billed (so far; knock on wood!).

For some reason, the explanatory videos are all silent in TurboTax on my computer, although when I play the .avi files directly using Windows Media Player, they're fine. I got a lot of useless advice via chat support (uninstall and reinstall all the multimedia components of Windows, keep uninstalling/re-installing TurboTax, etc.) and ultimately no help. As I said, I've had some issue with TurboTax for most every year of the 10 or so I've used the product, and being limited to chat support is EXTREMELY frustrating.

(I don't have a CD-writer, so can't comment on any interference there caused by the copy protection.)

All in all, a mixed bag!

Rating:
Summary: Man this activation sucks!
Review: I used this product faithfully for years, but no more. I bought my product, activated it. After I uploaded updates the activation was nullified. Now I have to call an undermanned call center that is only open from 9-5 PST, M-F. If you're lucky to get through, get ready to be put on hold for a long time. Hello Intuit, most people work from 9-5.