Rating: 
Summary: Sales Pitch, C-Dilla, I am through with TurboTax
Review: I have been using Turbo Tax for over 5 years, and up until this year, had no problem with it. However, this year it is different. First of all why, if this is NOT freeware or shareware, do I have to put up with all the sales and marketing crap the program contains? Every other screen when doing your taxes is them trying to sell you something or get you to pay more for something else! It is annoying as hell!
Then, there's the infamous C_Dilla directory. I am all against software piracy, but for TurboTax to install software without my knowledge, and to run processes in my computer that I am not aware of and that run even when TurboTax is not running, is just totally wrong in my book! To me this is called "Spyware", period!
I really hope Intuit reconsiders their tactics, because there are plenty of options out there for Tax preparation software, and honestly, this was the last year I used TurboTax, because I am fed up with all this!
Rating: 
Summary: C-Dilla, in detail
Review: Here's a quote from extremetech.com. (ExtremeTech &sister publication PC Magazine're industry leaders. You've probably heard of their most famous writer, John C. Dvorak.) (Note:Intuit-TurboTax-2002's C-Dilla wasn't different from other versions of C-Dilla. It just got lotsa attention because TurboTax *was* very popular software until C-Dilla became a part of it.)From ET's article:
"Likely the biggest problem users have expressed, is the level at which the TurboTax licensing agreement is managed and protected with the SafeCast/C-Dilla technology. People believe C-Dilla infiltrates their system in a very insidious manner, and uses memory and resources even when TurboTax is not loaded. And some believe it has caused them serious compatibility problems with non-related CD writing operations. (PC Magazine and ExtremeTech will be conducting some tests next week to see if we can duplicate some of these problems). [....] or your customers still looking to exit TurboTax for good, the uninstaller at this link now fully removes components of SafeCast/C-Dilla that were previously mostly impossible to remove."... If you're planning on using this product at work, forget it... your Info Technology manager will have a cow if he/she knows that you're installing destructive trojan/spyware (C-Dilla) on the company PCs. If you've already installed this software on a PC at work, let your IT manager know IMMEDIATELY, so he/she can take whatever steps are possible to remove C-Dilla. In the 2002/2003 version of TurboTax, a great protest rose up from prominent computer-industry magazines and users, which led to Intuit/TurboTax somewhat apologizing, and offering a program that uninstalled C-Dilla after you'd uninstalled TurboTax2002. (The original uninstaller didn't remove C-Dilla.) 2004...does it have C-Dilla ? I don't know. It's not out yet. Approach with caution.
Rating:
Summary: Spywhere everywhere on my pristine machine :(
Review: In the past I've used and enjoyed Inuit's products - good user interface, useful features, but lately I've grown wary of their marketing masquerades. After installing TurboTax2002 I am finally fed up. I hate spyware. Good bye Intuit. I'll be using Microsoft Money (instead of Quicken) and the associated online tax preparation software next year.
Rating:
Summary: Beware of Intuit C_Dilla
Review: I have been a consistent Turbo Tax user for the last 10 years, but what Intuit did this year with the installation of C_Dilla, aka Spyware, is unconscionable. As a result, I have switched to Tax Cut, and it works fine. There is no way I will install spyware on my PC. Intuit blew it big time on this one!
Rating:
Summary: The straight dope an Turbo-Tax
Review: After reading all the hate-reviews on Turbo-Tax, I decided to investigate. It turns out there is a great deal of mis-information in the air. All of the concerns are without merit, with one glaring exception. I'll get to that in a moment. First, you should know that Turbo Tax can be installed on several computers, and you can even pass the Turbo-Tax CD around to your friends if you wish. You can sell it, or buy it used; no problem. The software must be activated to use it. That's all. Quick and easy. Once activated, you can do your taxes, your Mother's taxes, your children's taxes, all on the same computer. That first activation is free. Each additional activation, or re-activation, requires what amounts to a licence fee, which ranges from $29.95 to $99.95, depending on the version. Fair enough. The Devil gets his due. 2: What if your hard drive crashes or the software does not install cleanly, and you need to reactivate it? What then? Do you have to pay again? No. You can contact Tech-Support chat online live and free, 24 hours a day at [URL]. They have the authority to work through any problems and reactivate your copy without charge. They will get you up and running so you can do your taxes. 3: Good enough for now, but what about the future? Let's say you didn't bother to printout your tax return. (Tisk!) If you reformat your drive six months from now and then find that you need to check you tax records a year down the line, what then? Will they stick you for another registration fee? No. "TurboTax 2002 CD-ROMs that currently require product activation will be activated free of charge starting October 16, 2003, allowing anyone to reinstall the CD-ROM on any computer without needing to pay for reactivation." (Turbo-Tax Web Site) 4: Is C-Dilla Spyware?
No. C-Dilla does not contact the internet, or report on you in any way. C-Dilla does not spam you with pop-up adds, or send out your e-mail address or report on your hardware or anything obnoxious like that. 5: This brings me to the one glaring concern I mentioned earlier. C-Dilla runs continuously in the background, even when Turbo-Tax is not running. C-Dilla bleeds CPU cycles perpetually from the time Turbo-tax is installed until such time as you reformat your hard drive. The Turbo-Tax Tech-support guy called it 'quite benign', and perhaps it is, but that is for you to say. Personally, I want as few parasites feeding on my CPU as possible. Tech-support backed my sentiment. Quote: "I agree, I've tried ending it myself, but then TurboTax 'forgets' it is registered I'm afraid." So there you go. The straight dope on Turbo-Tax. If you are an overage mom & pop user, you probably won't notice or even care if one or two CPU cycles is stolen every now and then. Turbo-tax may fit you fine. But if the very idea C-Dilla-like leaches really gets under your skin, why put up with it? Go with TaxCut instead. -Science_1
Rating:
Summary: NO Support renders TurboTax Worthless
Review: I have used Turbo tax for approximately four years. As far as just plain simple tax preparation goes, the software is ok. it will generate a tax return. The problem comes when you have a PROBLEM. Intuit product now requires a person to "activate" it over the internet. If you have a problem with that, if you install a new hard drive, or buy a new pc and wish to reinstall turbo tax on the new pc or hard drive, or get an answer to a problem with the software you are SOL. Try finding a phone number(any phone number) to call for assistance. Try accessing intuit's web site where it says you can ask for help from "a live tech support agent". SUCKER!!! Ain't going to happen. If you happened to buy your turbo tax directly from their web site and have an "order" number, you might get through. Otherwise, you go in website circles trying to get actual assistance. They will tell you to contact their technical support, but the website and the product offer no means of actually contacting a person. no phone number, no web pages that actually give you info on how to reinstall your pc. Instead, you are sent in circles on their site, ending up back where you started. Do not buy a headache...
Rating:
Summary: Spyware in purchased products? NO MORE!
Review: What Intuit has done is completely unacceptable and has alienated many of their users. I'll be forever skeptical about any product that doesn't have a "DRM" (Digital Rights Management, aka C_Dilla) with a giant red X through it on the box. I'm all against piracy, but the methods used by Intuit have screwed many users who depended on their product to do their taxes.
Rating:
Summary: TurboTax really blew it this year!!
Review: Reviewer: A software user from Miami, FL
I have been using Turbo Tax for 10 years, and up until this year, had no problem with it. However, this year frankly [stinks].
The product could not find my internet connection to go to online help. Took me 10 minutes to correct this. The product could not find my Quicken Deluxe 2000 tax information and offered to sell me Quicken 2003! This is NOT freeware or shareware, so why do I have to put up with all the sales and marketing [stuff] the program contains? Every other screen is trying to sell me something or get you to pay more for something else! It is annoying as hell! Also the infamous C_Dilla directory. I am all against software piracy, but for TurboTax to install software without my knowledge, and to run processes in my computer that I am not aware of and that run even when TurboTax is not running, is just totally wrong in my book! To me this is called "Spyware", period! I really hope Intuit reconsiders their tactics, because there are plenty of options out there for Tax preparation software, and honestly, this will be the last year I used TurboTax, because I am fed up with all this!
Rating:
Summary: Never again
Review: I, like many folks, have been using Quicken / TurboTax for a while now - for me, 8 years. That's over [money amount]a year to Intuit. The last few years, I've put up with the Advertising. ... ... This year, however, is the last straw. I gave TT2002 a shot - I wrestled with it for 3 days now, and Intuit's customer service is a Customer No-Service. My major mistake was counting on Intuit's reputation, and not checking out reviews before I paid out good money for this program. Another lost customer for you Intuit, moving to (sigh) Microsoft Money and TaxCut.
Rating:
Summary: Never Again!
Review: I will NEVER purchase an Intuit product again. I use computer products to make my life easier, not more difficult. I have used TurboTax every year it has been produced except one. (I used TaxCut one year but switched back to TurboTax when Kiplinger screwed me out of the rebate.). I do my taxes on one computer and print the forms on another because my printer does not function properly. TurboTax will not let you do this. Once you activate the software, it is locked to that computer for printing and electronic filing. I'm sorry, I don't have the time to fight with Intuit. Note, that you must be able to connect the computer on which the software is installed to Intuit. You cannot install it on one computer and connect to Intuit via another computer or telephone line. In addition, if the computer that contains the modem in networked, you may not get the software properly activated. Never, never, never again! I'd rather switch than fight!
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