Timeslips 11 for Sole Practitioners

Rating:
Summary: MISLEADING PROMISES -- DISAPPOINTING OUTCOME
Review: As a longtime user of Timeslips for my one-man consulting operation, the complete program -- networking many users and work stations -- was far more software than I needed. But it is the only game in town for time billing [QuickBooks just isn't up to that task]. So when the version for Solo (they call it Sole) Practitioners was announced, it seemed to be ideally suited to my needs, without cluttering the operating system with unneeded network routines. Since I have, over the years, collected quite a few entries for clients, invoices and payments, I wanted to make certain that my existing Timeslips database (Borland's Paradox) would transfer seamlessly to the latest version. Checking out the box, there's a blurb "Easy to get started, Easy to use", with the third bullet reading "Import your existing data with the built-in import tool". HAH! Trying to do just that, I got an error message that my existing data are from a previous TS version and cannot be converted to the version 11 format. Like the other reviewer, I called Tech Help and was informed that TSSP will NOT import the database -- the import function is only for text files (comma- or tab-delimited) exported by other database such as Access, FileMaker or SQL. And yes, I could export portions of the existing TS database as text files, but it would be more work than it would be to just get the upgrade to the full version 11 package. My advice: if you are starting from scratch, this might be neat software. But if you have an existing TS database, forget it. I've gone through the manual and installed the tutorials -- frankly, there's little or no reason to even upgrade; ver 11 looks and feels just the same as ver 9. Bells and whistles may have been added (a la Microsoft) but no substantive changes -- other than reworking the database engine for incompatibility with prior versions -- seem to have been made. FORGET IT!

Rating:
Summary: Bait and Switch
Review: I have used timeslips for years, including the pre-computer version, but only through an accounting firm that held the license. When I decided to go "in-house" I bought this product. When I received it, I carefully read the book, making notations in it, and then I installed it. I then tried to transfer the database from the accounting firm, including going back to get extra files that the book said I needed, but still couldn't get it to work. So I called tech support, to be informed that this product could not take a database from another licensee, but only was for people just starting out! Therefore I would have to upgrade. I feel that this is very misleading since the book talked about the transfer of the database extensively. Now I am faced with either paying more money, throwing the whole thing away since I have marked it all up, or inputing my pre-existing info again. I am not a happy camper.

Rating:
Summary: Gets the Job Done
Review: I wanted to give a different perspective from the users below who were both frustrated by the inability to transfer an existing database. I am a new user to Timeslips and am using it for my solo practice legal practice. I've found Timeslips provides an easy way to input my time and expense charges, keeps track of it all, including detailed descriptions, and then when end of the month billing time comes, prints out nice looking bills that have all the info the client needs. Also keeps track of client payments and carries over unpaid balances to the next bill. Just what I needed.

My main suggestion to Timeslips would be to extend the thirty day free phone support period that came with the package. Because I do monthly billing, I only got one phone call out of this. There's a lot of bells and whistles on this product that are beyond the scope of the manual. It would be helpful to ocassionally be able to call someone at Timeslips to learn more about these features. (I admit that I don't really know the cost of phone support, so it's possible that it can be purchased at a reaonable price).