Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Pro 2005 - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Pro 2005 includes all the financial management features of Basic, plus improved tools and customization options to help you work more efficiently. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284178 - QUICKBOOKS PRO 2005 WINand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Exchange data with Microsoft Excel and 325+ other software applications
• Track employee time and job costs; compare estimated costs to actuals
• Financial management software for small businesses
• Easily pay bills, print checks, track expenses, and much more
• Customize 100+ pre-designed forms to create a unique look

Reviews (33)

Dont Buy- this is why;
I've used QuickBooks for 11 or 12 years. I can't wait until there is a reasonable alternative that will allow me to import my QuickBooks data and stop using QuickBooks.

The QuickBooks software is generally user friendly and does a reasonably good job of simplifying small business accounting transactions. However, Intuit has a very poor attitude toward its customers as demonstrated by their business practices. With every upgrade, they force the customer to buy the next version by making it impossible to productively use the old software. They make a lot of money on upgrades.

With every new version, they extract more money out of the customer through other means as well. For example, QuickBooks originally allowed manual payroll accounting, but with every new release it became more difficult to do manual payroll. Now, there is NO manual payroll accounting. There are instead a few options for their payroll accounting services, which start at $200 per year for a company with one employee. That cost has increased steadily, so check for the actual cost to process payroll. The charge seems steep for downloading publicly available payroll tax tables. Intuit obviously sees their customers as captives and they are doing everything they can to squeeze money out of them.

Your accounting data in the proprietary QuickBooks data format is used to keep you upgrading as they shake you down for more money each year. Remember when you'd purchase software? Now you lease software, and it costs more each year. It feels like the software owns me.

Here's another aspect of leased software. I tried to buy a used copy of QuickBooks. This wasn't some pirate deal where you get a CD and nothing else. I purchased the original CD with the user manual, packaging and authorization code. It wouldn't register. I called Intuit and they told me it was already registered. I told them I bought the software from the original owner. They said I couldn't do that, and I needed to buy the $250 shrink wrapped version. QuickBooks is tightly integrated to their online services and won't work without their official approval. Can you think of any other item you purchase that can't be sold as a used item? What would you think if Toyota told you that you couldn't sell your car, or you couldn't buy someone else's car, and the only way to buy a Toyota was to buy a new one from the dealer? You can buy and sell other intellectual property such as books, CDs, and DVDs. Why not QuickBooks? Even after spending a lot of money, you don't own QuickBooks. It's a $250 annual software lease, with other attached leases for payroll services, multiple user licenses, etc.

The large amounts of money paid to Intuit on a yearly basis are bad enough, but you'd at least think that you'd get some customer service. Nope. Their customer service call center is in India. You deal with the language barrier, and generally have people with no direct understanding of western accounting, payroll or taxes. You get the usual call center "support" deal, with a person reading from a troubleshooting sheet that never seems to have anticipated your problem. If it isn't in the manual, it probably isn't going to be answered by the overseas call center either.

If you are just starting out, find another small business accounting solution. I don't have any experience with the others so I can't recommend any of them, but they must be better than QuickBooks, because Intuit believes they own their customers. They essentially act as a non-government agency levying a tax on small businesses. Avoid the QuickBooks tax.

Keep up with Technology in your Accounting Software
I am very sad to read so many insults against Intuit and the "Need to update their software".What people must consider is with each "Update" there are many new features that can be put to use immediately. As for Payroll and the necessary features and updates, we can all thank our current tax system. We have a complicated taxing system, yet Intuit Payroll (especially the Enhanced version) simplifies payroll by populating the many federal and state forms required of the small business person.Should you have an accountant overlook your system?I would say YES, regardless of WHAT system you use. Having a trained accountant, or if you are using Quickbooks, a Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisor. The assurance that your system is setup properly AND you are using all the features are worth the expense.Also, if you have the right accountant you should be getting tax advice and tips. All in all, keeping up with technology should be an integral part of your business plan. I have used many types of software and as an accountant I found QuickBooks is geared for the small to average business and requires minor accounting knowledge. However, saying that I will admit a trained accountant should review the system periodically for accuracy and compliance issues.

Diane Offutt
Woodstock, Georgia

No Customer Service Cost Us $$$
Even when Intuit's customer service was located in the United States, I received conflicting information and instructions which caused our company to lose $214.35 with no refund in sight. One representative said we had to purchase another copy of the program in order to have an additional license. Then a different representative said this was incorrect and to send the copy back without opening it. I did this and they refunded the shipping. That's it. No one ever told me that Intuit does not refund extra license fees, they just kept taking my information and promising a refund. Then they changed their customer service to India who have no idea who these people were that I spoke with, but also promised a refund which never arrived. Warning---do not purchase an extra license just on their say-so.

Be prepared to part with a lot of money!
Don't run your business with this software if you are careful with your money - as most small businesspeople are.

Every few years you have to upgrade in order to maintain the ridiculously expensive payroll tax update.I wish I had never upgraded from the early 1990's version.

You used to be able to manually enter the federal and state withholding infomation in the earlier versions, which makes sense for a very small business like ours.But you can't do that anymore. In order to even OPEN the payroll window, you MUST subscribe to the payroll update service!I seem to recall that it's almost $200 per year now, and increases annually!

It is now May, 2005, and I just received a notice that Intuit will no longer be providing tax tables for the 2003 version.I dread opening mail from Quickbooks, because notices like this are not uncommon.

I am looking for a different software program for 2006.

OK Software - Customer Hostile Attitude
I've used QuickBooks for 11 or 12 years. I can't wait until there is a reasonable alternative that will allow me to import my QuickBooks data and stop using QuickBooks.

The QuickBooks software is generally user friendly and does a reasonably good job of simplifying small business accounting transactions. However, Intuit has a very poor attitude toward its customers as demonstrated by their business practices. With every upgrade, they force the customer to buy the next version by making it impossible to productively use the old software. They make a lot of money on upgrades.

With every new version, they extract more money out of the customer through other means as well. For example, QuickBooks originally allowed manual payroll accounting, but with every new release it became more difficult to do manual payroll. Now, there is NO manual payroll accounting. There are instead a few options for their payroll accounting services, which start at $200 per year for a company with one employee. That cost has increased steadily, so check for the actual cost to process payroll. The charge seems steep for downloading publicly available payroll tax tables. Intuit obviously sees their customers as captives and they are doing everything they can to squeeze money out of them.

Your accounting data in the proprietary QuickBooks data format is used to keep you upgrading as they shake you down for more money each year. Remember when you'd purchase software? Now you lease software, and it costs more each year. It feels like the software owns me.

Here's another aspect of leased software. I tried to buy a used copy of QuickBooks. This wasn't some pirate deal where you get a CD and nothing else. I purchased the original CD with the user manual, packaging and authorization code. It wouldn't register. I called Intuit and they told me it was already registered. I told them I bought the software from the original owner. They said I couldn't do that, and I needed to buy the $250 shrink wrapped version. QuickBooks is tightly integrated to their online services and won't work without their official approval. Can you think of any other item you purchase that can't be sold as a used item? What would you think if Toyota told you that you couldn't sell your car, or you couldn't buy someone else's car, and the only way to buy a Toyota was to buy a new one from the dealer? You can buy and sell other intellectual property such as books, CDs, and DVDs. Why not QuickBooks? Even after spending a lot of money, you don't own QuickBooks. It's a $250 annual software lease, with other attached leases for payroll services, multiple user licenses, etc.

The large amounts of money paid to Intuit on a yearly basis are bad enough, but you'd at least think that you'd get some customer service. Nope. Their customer service call center is in India. You deal with the language barrier, and generally have people with no direct understanding of western accounting, payroll or taxes. You get the usual call center "support" deal, with a person reading from a troubleshooting sheet that never seems to have anticipated your problem. If it isn't in the manual, it probably isn't going to be answered by the overseas call center either.

If you are just starting out, find another small business accounting solution. I don't have any experience with the others so I can't recommend any of them, but they must be better than QuickBooks, because Intuit believes they own their customers. They essentially act as a non-government agency levying a tax on small businesses. Avoid the QuickBooks tax. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Pro 2005 - Complete Product - Financial - 5 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - MacQuickBooks Pro 2005 for Mac is all about working the way you want to work, including more customizable forms and easier ways to share data with QuickBooks for Windows users. And it takes advantage of more Mac OS X features, including iCal and .Mac. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284186 - QUICKBOOKS PRO EDITION 2005 MACand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Transfer data from Quicken for Mac or QuickBooks for Windows
• Takes advantage of more Mac OS X features, including iCal and .Mac
• Financial management software for small businesses
• Easily pay bills, print checks, track expenses, and much more
• Export reports to Microsoft Excel; customizable reports

Reviews (10)

I can't believe there's no online banking support!!!!
This just blows my mind.My cheapo Quicken (actually bundled free) has had great online banking support for years, but pricey Quickbooks PRO does not?What is that?This is 2005 -- I can't fathom how they could possibly release this product without online banking support.It's not like they don't know how to do it.

Other than that I really like it.I'm using it anyway as there isn't really an attractive alternative in my opinion, as they must know...

Not as advertised:MAC to PC problems.
If you are planning on round-tripping between your Mac and a Windows version (i.e. between your accountant or bookeeper's PC using a windows version of Quickbooks Pro- DO NOT PURCHASE this product! Unfortunately, there are two major flaws with Quickbooks 2005 7.0. The first and most dangerous is that the more you round trip the more corrupt your data will become.Secondly, if you have memorized reports you will have to errase them before round tripping and they will not be saved.
Unfortunately Quickbooks does not tell you this before purchasing- infact they advertise this easy conversion between Mac and PC as a selling feature for their product.
If you do not need to have your accountant or CPA manipulate your data on their PC, then the program is a good attempt to make a Windows style program into a MAC-like product.

NoBooks Is More Like It
Don't buy it. If you're on Mac, spend your money on PC emulator and use the PC version of QuickBooks. The Mac version doesn't seem to be designed to be used as a bookkeeping system for a business. You can't print deposit slips. You can print a deposit summary, but the bank is funny about requiring an account number and a routing number.
QuickBooks won't do payroll updates for the Mac version, so you have to jump through more hoops to get signed up with yet another vendor, then you get the software vs. software argument: "It's not our problem, it's theirs." "No, it's not our problem, it's theirs."
And that's the first day. I understand it gets worse from there, but I'm not sticking around for the ride.
Intuit has kindly set up an online forum so users can "share creativity" for working around problems. I thought that was what programmers were supposed to do.I thought I was supposed to spend my time running my business and using the software, not "fixing" it.But hey, maybe someone will buy that line and believe it's her fault the program is a dog.
Intuit has taken a page from the Gates book and gone MS one better on the QuickBooks for Mac version.

Not ready for prime time:more is less
Intuit has hyped this new release a lot, but it falls well short of deserving the praise.The 2005 QuickBooks for Mac would be a definite improvement if there weren't so many little glitches and annoyances in it.Most disturbingly, accounts and numbers pull disappearing acts - they simply don't display on the screen sometimes.How confidant can you feel when you're looking at a Profit and Loss statement that has no numbers on it?

Even though the menus are touted as being redesigned to closely match those in the PC version of QuickBooks, some things are still maddeningly hard to find.And too many basic features are still unavailable.Intuit should have kept this under wraps a bit longer and made sure it worked before they foisted it off on users eager for an improved product.Let's hope they address the bugs promptly in a maintenance update.

Rebate is phony
The terms of the rebate aren't listed here but once you get the pakage you will see in the fine print that it is only for people who are UPGRADING from a previous version of QuickBooks. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Contractor Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCCustom-built for contractors, QuickBooks: Premier Contractor Edition 2005 with advanced job costing helps you make more money from your jobs. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284212 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER CONTRACTOR 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• 5 new job-costing reports; built-in tutorials; easy to learn and use
• Run contracting business more efficiently and accurately
• Accounting software custom-built for contractors
• Boost job profits with automatic job costing; keep all details in one place
• Quickly create invoices formatted as letters right from QuickBooks

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Pro 2005 - Complete Product - Financial - 5 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Pro 2005 includes all the financial management features of Basic, plus improved tools and customization options to help you work more efficiently. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284183 - QUICKBOOKS 2005 PRO 5U WIN - and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Exchange data with Microsoft Excel and 325+ other software applications
• Track employee time and job costs; compare estimated costs to actuals
• Financial management software for small businesses
• Easily pay bills, print checks, track expenses, and much more
• Customize 100+ pre-designed forms to create a unique look

Reviews (4)

Software OK - Hostile Atitude Toward Customers
I've used QuickBooks for 11 or 12 years.I can't wait until there is a reasonable alternative that will allow me to import my QuickBooks data and stop using QuickBooks.

The QuickBooks software is generally user friendly and does a reasonably good job of simplifying small business accounting transactions.However, Intuit has a very poor attitude toward its customers as demonstrated by their business practices.With every upgrade, they force the customer to buy the next version by making it impossible to productively use the old software.They make a lot of money on upgrades.

With every new version, they extract more money out of the customer through other means as well.For example, QuickBooks originally allowed manual payroll accounting, but with every new release it became more difficult to do manual payroll.Now, there is NO manual payroll accounting.There are instead a few options for their payroll accounting services, which start at $200 per year for a company with one employee.That cost has increased steadily, so check for the actual cost to process payroll.The charge seems steep for downloading publicly available payroll tax tables.Intuit obviously sees their customers as captives and they are doing everything they can to squeeze money out of them.

Your accounting data in the proprietary QuickBooks data format is used to keep you upgrading as they shake you down for more money each year.Remember when you'd purchase software?Now you lease software, and it costs more each year.It feels like the software owns me.

Here's another aspect of leased software.I tried to buy a used copy of QuickBooks.This wasn't some pirate deal where you get a CD and nothing else.I purchased the original CD with the user manual, packaging and authorization code.It wouldn't register.I called Intuit and they told me it was already registered.I told them I bought the software from the original owner.They said I couldn't do that, and I needed to buy the $499 shrink wrapped version.QuickBooks is tightly integrated to their online services and won't work without their official approval.Can you think of any other item you purchase that can't be sold as a used item?What would you think if Toyota told you that you couldn't sell your car, or you couldn't buy someone else's car, and the only way to buy a Toyota was to buy a new one from the dealer?You can buy and sell other intellectual property such as books, CDs, and DVDs.Why not QuickBooks?Even after spending a lot of money, you don't own QuickBooks.It's a $500 annual software lease, with other attached leases for payroll services, multiple user licenses, etc.

The large amounts of money paid to Intuit on a yearly basis are bad enough, but you'd at least think that you'd get some customer service.Nope.Their customer service call center is in India.You deal with the language barrier, and generally have people with no direct understanding of western accounting, payroll or taxes.You get the usual call center "support" deal, with a person reading from a troubleshooting sheet that never seems to have anticipated your problem.If it isn't in the manual, it probably isn't going to be answered by the overseas call center either.

If you are just starting out, find another small business accounting solution.I don't have any experience with the others so I can't recommend any of them, but they must be better than QuickBooks, because Intuit believes they own their customers. They essentially act as a non-government agency levying a tax on small businesses.Avoid the QuickBooks tax.

I was afraid...very afraid...very very afraid...
..to upgrade to QuickBooks pro 2005 after reading the reviews. Having received an e-mail from Intuit saying that they were `sunsetting' QuickBooks pro 2002from April and I would no longer have access to email for invoices etc... I "decided" to bite the bullet and upgrade.

The purchase

I received a discount for upgrading my single user version and use the internet to activate the product. It went smoothly. The installation CD arrived promptly in the mail, well packaged. I also decided to buy the 5 user edition for work since I network qbooksThat arrived promptly [actually the two came together].

The installation

I decided to TEST at HOME fist on backup data and to do a clean install and an upgrade. OK. The clean install was flawless. The internet activation as painless and I was up and running! GOOD.
Next came the 5 user edition; I did an upgrade on the second computer and that went flawless. Next the internet was used to activate the product. No problems!

So far so good; Now to WORK and test it on REAL data! I did this on a day I took off, just in case the horror stories came true!First the server upgrade. Problems...program stuck installing some dot NET program.. took forever [an hour actually]. Hmm. Rebooted, no go. Hmm Shut down and restarted,,..where is the manual? ...AH.I see..!. the ANTIVIRUS software! .. Turned OFF Norton antivirus! Now flawless installation!...[heh heh REAL men don't read manuals].

The activation

Now to product activation... call a number. No problem answered promptly and was directed by prompts to activation, now a REAL live person " Mike" yeah, he had an accent but I guess I had an accent to him as well!He was real pleasant. I explained that I had purchased a 5 user edition, used one activation on my computer at home via the internet and needed to install at least 2 others at work . No problem. He checked my registration, gave me a code..yeah,,but would I have to call back to activate the other computers? No..the code would work for the others..He waited on line while I entered the code. Presto ! Instant activation. No problems.The program installed flawlessly on the other computer and the network worked instantly. The whole process took about 5 minutes! Painless.

The program
The GOOD:
It is significantly faster than QuickBooks pro 2002. There is scheduled backup and the backup process is a lot faster. Passwords are case sensitive; if you forget the caps lock key then problems...this happened to me once.

Joy of JOYS...refunds, write offs and under and over payments are now easy as one click. Issuing refund checks is easy as pie. In the previous 2002 version, to issue a refundor writing off bad debts required several complicated maneuvers that ended up confusing the accountant and me!

The screens are friendlier and better laid out. Easier search for invoices etc. If you have used QB before you will have no problems.

I have not seen any intrusive ads or banners advertising products. The check reminder popped up and I set it to the number that I wanted. It hasn't bothered me since. Yes, I use Intuit checks and they are lovely! Highly recommended.

My accountant loves the program and Invoices estimates etc can be emailed as pdf attachments.

The BAD
No manual payroll. I would have thought that certain editions for businesses would allow the truly small business owner to manually enter payroll say for up to 10 employees. More that that would require subscription to the payroll service.

Invoices when paid should automatically enter the payment method on them. I mean you have already entered the payment by cash, check or credit card to pay the invoice. (...) No multiple currency support.
Yes, we generally use one currency but for truly international sales or customers, they may pay in a different currency and QB should be able to set up foreign currency accounts and automatically convert it to your base currency. As it stands now I have to set up a back account in the foreign currency and manually convert to base currency in a sub account. Tedious , flawed and unnecessary.

Importation of AIF file impossible. My account made some changes and I tried to import the file. The program said that it needed to be the same file with no changes made to the original. In other words, I can do no business until the accountant is finished if I want to import his changes. Ridiculous!!

Overall. 4 stars. It is very good but there is plenty room for improvement for the small business owner. No need to be afraid. Purchase with confidence!

There are better software out there!
I agree with the above users, there are better software out there.Please look around and be more futuristic. QuickBooks is for very small companies only.It slows down when the size of your database goes up. I tested some software and found some really good, with reasonable price: BusinessWorks, Small Business Manager (microsoft.com), Quick Business Manager (bisaim.com),Vision Point 2000 (ACCPAC), BusinessVision 32 (Softline).

Good Luck in your search.

Warning! E-Pay and E-File Removed in Version 2005
After I installed and converted my file to the 2005 format I was informed that the E-File and E-Pay features were removed in version 2005. The support folk in India could not tell me if this was temporary or permanent. The only option to continue E-File and E-Pay was to remove version 2005 and reinstall version 2004. What a way to treat customers! How about some up front disclosure Intuit? I've been using Quickbooks for 7 years. This may be my last upgrade! ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Basic 2005 - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Basic 2005 has the tools you need to manage your business finances faster, with complete confidence. And now we've streamlined many features you use most. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284172 - QUICKBOOKS BASIC 2005 WINand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Report Navigator with sample views and descriptions make selection a snap
• New Learning Center tutorials show how to work faster, smarter, and better
• Tools for managing business finances faster and more confidently
• Locate customer and vendor records instantly; create invoices; track sales tax
• Get key facts, forms, and resources, all in one place; easily manage payments

Reviews (3)

Automated Payroll Processing Is Now an Add-on Charge
As the treasurer for a church with six employees, I have used QuickBooks for the accounting and payroll for the church for more than a decade.

I just upgraded the software used by the church to QuickBooks Basic 2005 this year and found that we can not use QuickBooks to compute the payroll tax withholdings unless we subscribe to one of Intuit's payroll services.This is a change in the way payroll is handled by the software from previous additions of QuickBooks Basic.

This additional subscription makes the cost of upgrading to QuickBooks Basic 2005 more than triple the published software price (...) because the least expensive of the subscriptions is $199 per year.

In response, I have developed a an Excel spreadsheet that can do the computations for our organization and I will not be subscribing to Intuit's payroll service.

The rest of the package seems to work as intended.

Context is everything
I used QuickBooks, happily, for years -- until they stopped supporting tax tables for the Mac, about 1999. They migrated us to Aatrix TopPay -- a nightmare -- but at the time, the only company making payroll software for the Mac. I stayed with them, though their UI was ghastly, forms didn't work, customer support poor -- feeling it was better than going to a PC. Finally this year, my experience with their version 15 was so terrible that I gave up entirely -- bought QuickBooks -- and set it up on my PC. What ease of use! What intuitive, easy navigation! What joy! It took me very little time to set up my company, calculate payroll, and be on my way.

So -- compared to what I've had to deal with for the past 5 years -- this is magnificent.

I would have given it a 0 star if I could.
Just do one thing. Try to create an invoice with British Sterling Pound symbol or Japanese Yen symbol.

It doesn't take many problems for a software to be obsolete. Just one problem that cannot be fixed.

If you have a global dream for your small business, this software isn't it.

What a junk. I am going back to Microsoft Money. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Professional Services Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCDesigned specifically for professional services providers, QuickBooks: Premier Professional Services Edition 2005 is customized for the way you do business. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284220 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Set billing rates by employee, as well as by client or service
• 16 reports; 5 new project costing reports; new Reports Navigator
• Financial software for professional services providers
• Track time and bill clients more efficiently with flexible options
• Invoice and proposal templates; payment settings and reminders

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Nonprofit Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCDesigned specifically for nonprofits, QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition 2005 offers the customized tools you need to manage your organization's finances more effectively, efficiently and easily. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284216 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER NONPROFIT 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Produce thank-you letters, pledge forms, and receipts automatically
• Get a snapshot of any donor or vendor; share local area network
• Customized finance-management tools for nonprofit organizations
• Generate reports instantly; transfer expense totals directly to IRS forms
• Create a budget with one click; check budget against actual spending

Reviews (1)

Nonprofit edition isn't really different.
I had the, uhm, privilege of setting this up for a nonprofit organization. QuickBooks Premier Non-Profit Edition 2005 was chosen because everyone collectively went, "We need accounting software. And gasp! Quickbooks is catering to nonprofits! And we're a nonprofit! So this has got to be great!" However, it's all the same with an extra name on it. Therefore I recommend taking the the reviews of QuickBooks Premier 2005 (regular edition) into consideration for your purchasing decision. The reviews are bad but apparently they're bad for every single accounting software product on Amazon (really, you'll see).

It is very, very smart marketing on Intuit's part to make such specialized niche versions of their software. They don't seem to have any competitors in "nonprofit accounting" at the office stores. They must be barnstorming marketshare coming up with specialized versions.

I don't know the Quickbooks software well enough to give you an accurate rating. I gave it four stars. I was tempted to give it three, a fair mediocre rating... Quickbooks was not easy or wonderful, or pleasant. But does it do its job? Yes. I think Quickbooks or something like it is necessary, and will pay off big time in the long run. It comes with (a rather good, included) how-to book. If you have the money, go to Intuit's website and look up a QuickBooks Consultant in your area... I'd imagine this genuinely valuable.

Kudos to Intuit for honoring their rebate.

Make sure you check the reviews for the regular edition, as these two are basically the same thing. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Quicken 2005 for Mac - Financial Management - MacWhether you're managing your personal finances, investing for your future, or running a small business - or all three - there's a Quicken product that's right for you.Save, invest and track profits with tools that help you pay bills quickly, balance your checkbook, create a budget, plan for retirement, simplify taxes and manage your investments. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 283646 - QUICKEN 2005 MACand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Track home inventory and value; convenient iCal calendar
• Save, invest, and track profits in minutes
• Download banking, credit card, and brokerage transactions
• Track spending; manage investments; prepare for tax time
• Track portfolio performance; read news stories related to holdings

Reviews (32)

I should have heeded the advise of the other reviewers
I have used Quicken since 1999.During a recent change to MAC from PC I purchased the Quicken 2005.I am very disappointed with the program.It is cumbersome and does not do many of the things that 2004 did and if it does I can't figure out how.I plan on going back to 2004.This was a total waste of money.

Forget .QIF; there are more serious problems with this S/W
I didn't pay for this upgrade but rather got it 'free' when I bought a Mac Mini. Converting my old files seemed to go fine*, and I had no problems with downloads.

*I did notice that my cash balances remained incorrect until I clicked in every transaction and hit Return, thus slapping it upside the head to make it add/subtract the transaction (!)

There are Very Basic Errors in this program that drive me crazy:
1.) It's very difficult to enter stock purchases with a purchase price other than that which Quicken has in mind... You have to bash it over the head again and again.
2.) You will get basic math errors, only some of which could charitably be attributed to rounding, and will end up with a trail of adjusting .o1 entires here and .00045 shares there...
3.)It does not handle stock spinoffs with more than one spinoff-ee.
4.)It does not handle capital gains correctly for stocks that have had spinoff-ee (see Quicken's own forums for this).
5.) For some reason beknownst only to them, the portfolio accounts are horribly crippled compared to the checkbooks.. so.. NO copying of transactions in case you make a mistake, NO scheduled transactions, NO calendar, NO memorized transactions (yeah, I was thrilled to enter 15 years' worth of monthly dividends by hand... I loved typing "$17.11" one hundred and sixty-something times..) uhmmm this is a COMPUTER? right?

Downloading transactions - four stars
Checkbook - four stars
Investment functions - negative ten stars

I have been using Quicken since 1992, and have kept waiting for new versions to address some of the things, like memorized xactions, before plunging in and entering all my old statements. I started anyway with this 2005 version and am sorry I did!

Some smart programmer somewhere should be reading this and firing up his compiler.. The World Deserves Better Software Than This!

Ditto, ditto, ditto... a complete waste of time and money
Balancing your accounts with pencil and paper is easier than using this program. I have a bank account at Bank of America, investment account at TD Waterhouse and a retirement account at Fidelity, hardly obscure institutions. I cannot download transactions directly from ANY of these accounts. I can download my Bank of America and Fidelity transactions as a file to my desktop and then import them: i.e. navagate to the web site, sign in, go to "accounts," select the account I want to download, find the "download" button, select "location" to download to, switch back to Quicken, select "import" from the menu. Let's see now.... one step on the Windows version versus EIGHT on the Mac version. From what I can tell, there's no way at all to import my TD Waterhouse transactions.

I can't believe that Quicken has the audacity to charge money for this. I can't believe Apple includes it already loaded on new Macs (which is how I got mine): doing so will only reinforce the perception that the software that most of the world needs to use just isn't available for Mac. I've ended up buying VirtualPC and using it to run my Windows version of Quicken on my Mac.

Do not buy Quicken 2005
This product is a waste of time. You can not get MAC support from Quicken and Quicken is trying to hold users of Quicken 2002 hostage by disabling the down loading feature from financial institutions. Stop using Quicken now - why pay an extra $10 for the Mac version for an inferior version. Buy Moneydance instead, its only $30.

Worthless
I recently switched from Microsoft to Mac and found that this is just about the only financial software written for Mac.I have found it to be very buggy.Some "features" don't work and customer support is non-existant.Downloading account information is just about as difficult as setting up online features.I really do not trust this software.Each week I sit with a calculator and double check the figures.Often Quicken has made "adjustments" for my accounts and I have to fudge figures to get them correct.Next year I will be going back to Microsoft and one of my first software puchases will be Microsoft Money! ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 enables you to turn data into information with powerful tools to analyze, communicate, and share results. Excel 2003 can help you work better in teams, and help protect and control access to your work. In addition, you can work with industry-standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to make it easier to connect to business processes.

Features:

• Capture and Reuse Data Bring key business data into your spreadsheets for more timely access to the information you need to make good decisions.
• Share Information with Confidence Work together effectivelyinternally and with other organizationsand help protect against the misuse of sensitive company information.
• Increase Productivity Be mobile and access information that can help you create the best spreadsheets possible.

Features

• Enhanced Smart Tags appear only when you hover the mouse over a defined range of cells
• Reads data in any customer defined XML schema, without reformatting; you can manipulate XML data sources using charts, tables or graphs
• Spreadsheets can be saved in a native XML file format, searchable by a program using industry standard XML
• New visual XML mapping tool maps user-specified XML schema to fields in an Excel spreadsheet
• Analyzes data better, with enhanced collinearity detection, sum of squared deviation calculation, normal distributions, and continuous probability distribution functions

Reviews (1)

More Possibilities with your Numbers & Data
Excel is a XML mammoth because of the integration with the language. The ability to migrate data between different storage sources and extraction of information to make it flexible in different scenarios. Tables can be transferred back and forth between applications such Word with ease. Excel can continually use the tables from documents as a data source for further expandability. It's the flexibility for data exchange that makes Excel 2003 very powerful. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Accountant Edition - Complete Product - Accounting - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Premier Accountant Edition 2005 contains advanced bookkeeping, write-up and financial reporting tools to help professional accountants deliver great client service more efficiently. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284208 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER ACCOUNTANT 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Product Description

Intuit Quicken 2005 Deluxe - Financial Management - PCQuicken 2005 Deluxe makes it easier than ever for you to find out what you have and where it's going by helping you with paying bills, saving more money and planning for your future. Quicken 2005 includes over 100 customer driven enhancements, making it easier than ever for you to manage your finances. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 283650 - QUICKEN 2005 DELUXEand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Plan for financial goals by viewing net worth over time
• Over 100 feature improvements on popular tools
• Connect instantly to bank, credit card sites, and 401(k) providers
• Manage finances by setting up automatic transactions
• Quickly and easily track investment holdings

Reviews (103)

Buyer beware!
I have used quicken for years, mostly just to manage my bank account and household expenses. In the past I have encouraged others, including my own children, to buy and use Quicken. But no more! They have taken a wonderful, easy to use product and turned it into a nightmare of captive registration, popup advertising and other annoyances. I hope the managers at quicken read the Amazon reviews and get a clue. They certainly don't make it easy to give them feedback on their web site, so I don't really think they care what their customers think. Potential buyers should note carefully the fact that quicken has only a 1-1/2 star rating. There is a reason for this. Buyer beware. I gave them a two-star rating because once you get everything installed and working, the product does it's job nicely. It is the installation, captive registration and advertising that I objected to. Captive registration? I absolutely could not use the product until I had "registered" on their web site. This was really outrageous! I had already paid my money. I didn't want them to have my name and address email and phone number. But I had to give it to them or the product didn't work. This was not a polite rquest for registration. This was an in your face, you can't get out of this screen until you fill it out ... correctly... registration. Then they tried to force me to keep my data on their web site. No way! Ads would pop up during installation; they dropped commercial icons onto my desktop without permission. I had to remove them. Maybe some folks would appreciate these "features" and use the services of lenders, etc whose icons they conveniently dropped on my desktop. But I didn't appreicate it.

Poor customer service
I have been using Quicken for almost 10 years now and the most recent 2005 really has been a headache although I have used it successfully until today.

The back up system was perfectly fine until this version and now I have my head spinning.Luckily I have managed to wade through that part.

Today I was entering 401k transactions manually as I have done for years and everything was going smoothly until I noticed my balance in the account was double what it should be.I looked over all the transactions and nothing was entered incorrectly.So I deleted them and the balance was still double. HUH!!!???

So I decided to restore from my back up copy and it was back to normal.So I then reentered all my bank transactions and backed it up.:)Then started manually entering each 401k transaction for each of my investment accounts.I got through 6 of the 7 Investments and on the last page I put in the info and everything was accurate and hit enter and bam the balance was double again.I deleted that transaction and it still remained double.ARGH!!!!

I then decide to call Customer Service and chat on line and was informed he was not trained in Investments and I would have to call them for $24.95.I was not happy about having to call for something that was obviously a bug in their own program.

I ended up calling and during the call I explained I didn't want to pay the $25 and she told me I could chat and it wouldn't cost and I informed her that he was unable to help me and told me I would need to call.I decided I was not willing to pay the $25 and now will be looking for other options for my banking.

2005 sucks!!! There is just too much added for someone who wants it for everyday living.

Found a GREAT Alternative to Quicken
MoneyDance 2005 - www.moneydance.com

After years of using an end-of-life proprietary product from my bank, I finally had to breakdown and move from it due to it's lack of interoperability with XP Service Pack 2.I had delayed doing this for years because of the negative reviews I had seen here for Quicken, especially all of the embedded adware.I didn't trust Intuit (or Microsoft either) that a hidden online access point wouldn't be putting my valuable personal financial data at risk in order to promote it's online banking features.And then I found out that I was out of luck, because Quicken 2005 doesn't support .qif anymore *grrr*.

I searched Amazon, and found Moneydance and liked it's customer reviews, although they were a few years old.I went to it's website www.moneydance.com, and discovered that the product is still available and up to date.It also included a free trial, which I immediately downloaded and liked the software so much, I bought the full license within an hour.

If all you want is a reliable banking application with online bank access and NO ADWARE, this software is absolutely for you.The online component is not included by default, so no worries about the software taking you to a proprietary online banking site like quicken's or microsoft's.However, they make it VERY easy to add-on online banking features and support both .qif and Quicken's new .qdf formats.

All of my data transferred over (my old software was able to export to .qif), although I did have to spend a little time re-organizing things.Whether that is a quirk of Moneydance, or the legacy software I was transfering from, I don't know.The software has support for investment accounts, although I've never tracked mine using my banking software, so I haven't tried it.

Another big plus for the software is that it is Java based, and will install on any Java-enabled platform.No more being locked into Windows.

Screwed Over by the Upgrade
Like a dufus I bought Quicken2005.

BIG MISTAKE

The first thing it did was convert all my data to a new format that doesn't work with Quicken2002.Then, I discovered that it stopped support QIF imports.Now I cannot import data from my bank accounts.

So the big improvement after 3 years of work on this product is that you can now manually type everything into Quicken2005.

Wonderful.

So now I've gone back to Quicken2002, after uninstalling Quicken2005, searching backups to recover the data from Quicken2002, and losing all my data for this year.

Gee, to think that I *paid* for this downgrade.

Note: I chose not to spend $24.95 to call Quicken and ask for their help.Funny how every other software company I've used provides phone support for free.Maybe if these guys actually talked to their customers they would know what a colossal mistake they've made.

No problems
It has always amazed me that improvements in Quicken are so slow, the last update worth purchasing was in 95, with Quicken 6. Did all their programmers quit?

That being said, I had none of the problems of the other reviewers. Quicken 2005 installed with no problems, all 5 of the accounts I download, downloaded with no problems, and after a week of use everything works as should.

Quicken is the best home finance program available. If you do not own it, buy today, it will make you money much easier to manage and probably save you money. If you are currently a user, I would recommend you not update until Quicken forces you to! 5 stars if you are a new user, 3 stars if updating. ... Read more

Product Description

Offers advanced tools for businesses that want to manage their finances more effectively and efficiently. Includes tools that help boost productivity and give you more control of your spending, your data and your business forms and much more! ... Read more

Features

• Customize reports, prices and more
• Automatically track information for taxes and reporting
• Financial management system for businesses
• Import data from popular office software
• Easily manage accounts payable and receivable

Reviews (50)

Pocket Quickbook
Quickbook is really a fanastic product although there is much disapprovment on the review site. Quickbook is great, just that Quickbook is trying too hard to squeeze evey cents from the existing customer with their distractive advert. Whatever, Quickbook is one of the best buget accounting software in the market. If you use it enough, you may find something missing in Quickbook. Its usefulness is limited to the office. Now you can extend your Quickbook to PDA such as PocketPC.

If you are in a retail business, Pocket Quickbook enables you enter bill and receive your inventory. You no longer confined to your desktop to use Quickbook. You have the convenience to scan a product and know immediate how many you have sold last night, last week or even last month. And you then make a purchase order. Easy? You can be as information productive as 7 Eleven even if you own only 1 outlet!

If you are in a service business, Pocket Quickbook enables you to issue invoices to customer away from the desktop. Be it at your showroom, your customer site or your favourite Starbuck! Get instant information on your customer payment, balance and contact out in the field.

Visit http://www.doitech.com/member.htm to download the trial version now! It is free. If you like most customer who beg for a similar accounting software but without the "hazard" of Intuit, then write an email to sales@doitech.com They have a accounting software that could import most of Quickbook data. You can tell them what you use most often on your Quickbook. What are the necessary functions that you need. Your input determine the new accounting software that uses your old Quickbook data without all the advert service and priced at only US$49/-. Importantly it make Quickbook PDA convenience...

Thank you...

Improved over 2002 version
For the most part, there has been some negative sentiment and reviewsfrom users regarding their purchases of Quickbooks Pro 2004. It was enough to concern me to think whether I should purchase the program or not. Those reviews were not regarding installation problems or conflicts on their computers. They were complaints regarding Intuit designing the newer programs with traps in the program that would require you to purchase additional services. It is true that there are fees for running payroll annually but I don't use it so no $$$ lost. Actually there are two problems I have come across. The first: when making payments, an icon appears right alongside your payment that wants you to order checks from Intuit. You cannot eliminate this option but have to dig through help and look in a very hidden location to place a proposed check number when you want to be reminded again. I put in 9999 so I probably won't hear from it for a long time. Of course many may find this reminder helpful. I suppose I will, but personally I become offended when I can't turn on or off the preferences. The second problem is inemailing forms and reports. This is another option my 2002 version did not have. The problem is that when you click on emailing the report, a quickbooks browser opens and takes you to an intuit site where you have to login and before things got worse, I disconnected. They should allow you to simply attach to outlook express if anything. What is a plus with this update version is that reports can be saved in pdf format (adobe acrobat) and you can manually email these attachments yourself. I like and have used this option!

This program is a very helpful tool in our real estate business where I can keep track and make reports of all properties. For those not familiar with the software, when you desire to enter an expense, a screen will appear that looks like a check. This check can either be printed on the intuit or third party checks or you can unclick "print" and write out your own check and just use this area to enter the expenses. You enter the payee, $$$, date and information in the lower section of the amount(s) from that same check that you want to enter into one or more categories or across many classes. For example, if I want to pay John the handiman $500 for work on properties, I can allocate $200 to "accounts" for electrical, $100 for painting and $200 for roofing, any accounts which you can personally set up. Further, if a portion of the payment is for another property address, I simply click on the appropriate property I have originally entered way back under "class" and separate the $$$ proportionately. Another column is available for entering the "job" so I can keep track of a specific project. Virtually every conceivable option is available for keeping proper track of expenses. When I deposit rent checks, I simply click on "make deposits" and enter the click on the tenant's name in the dropdown list and allocate the payment to the "class" or property. Again easy to keep complete track of expense and income. At the end of the year, I email the backup program to our accountant and he finshes the tax forms. Bank account balances can be kept and basis for properties for the long term.

Of course, if you are using this program for the first time, you enter a lot of information on various introductory screens to customize the program for your type of business.

As far as installation, I already had Quickbooks Pro 2002 installed. The instructions say to install right over top of the old program so the old information can be converted over. Screens appear that comfortable tell you what is going to happen. I would recommend backing everything up prior to upgrading. All went well.

I am very satisfied with the program. I was reluctant to try Peachtree since they say you can't keep more than 2 years of information readily open to see or modify prior to archiving (there seems to be no limit here unless your backup file gets too big- I'm at 600kb and climbing right now). I will give this rating 4 stars since I am satisfied with the program. If there would be more useful and exciting changes, I would have given it a perfect rating. Feel comfortable in purchasing this program.

Quickbooks 2004 Pro
QuickBooks 2004 Pro is modest improvement over the incredibly lame version that QB2000 was. The problem with the preceding statement is that Intuit is finally, albeit very slowly, brining QuickBooks up to the level of functionality that most professional grade software has had 3-4 years earlier. Given the price they charge for the package one would assume a very polished, professional level package which in my opinion is not the case.

Moreover the requirement of having to integrate with Internet Explorer and the corresponding reduced security settings makes it a significant security issue particularly in professional and business settings. As a professional IT consultant I need a basic package to track my business and have adopted QuickBooks by default early on believing it to be a good package given the popularity. A condition that has proved largely false unfortunately. The best I can say is that the package does get the basics I need done and given at the moment I don't have the time to review and test other alternatives I'm stuck with using this.


Lastly, as others have indicated, I really don't care for the constant self promotion Intuit has integrated into the package. I wouldn't object to something perhaps in the help area that lets on see other offerings etc. by choice. The inclusion of self promoting links within the package that appear as possible links to help areas is both annoying and modestly deceptive.
Intuit has garnered a large market share in the lower end accounting arena. They would do a good service to their longer term prospects and to their clients by making significant improvements in the package and COMPLETELY ELIMINATING the need to integrate with Internet Explorer.

Rebate Info--Don't Be Fooled
Note that the $100Rebate is for UPGRADES only.It is a bit deceiving when you purchase your QuickBooks, it is for those who had previous versionsof QuickBooks only.

Run! Run!! Run for your life!!!
I used this product back when it was in its 1.0 for DOS days. Back then, it was a great application. Designed to make double-entry accounting accessible to those of us who don't really know a credit from a debit, it did everything I needed it to do, simply.

It is now mostly an advertisement for add-on products. It still comes with the basic features, although many are no longer so simple, but so many of the feature buttons just take you to a web-based, "You can buy this add-on here now!" type site.

It's no longer intuitive either. The design is such that many common features (i.e. Receive Payment) are not available on the myriad buttons all over the screen. (Those are reserved for add-on products.) You have to navigate around things to find the simple functions you need.

Finally, gone are the days when you could get some level of decent free support for the software. I'm not talking about, telephone support, or significant hand-holding. I'm talking about things like Newsgroups. Places where people can ask questions and get ideas from other people. Microsoft has that. Intuit doesn't. Instead, if you want to ask anything beyond, "how do I install this?", you have to pay for a freakin' service plan! And it's not just a one-time $100+ fee either. After that, you have to pay them a monthly too!

I'm not sure what I'm going to switch to, but this product just bites. I'm getting out. In short, my advice is stay faaaaar away from these guys. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Manufacturing and Wholesale Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCDesigned specifically for manufacturers and wholesalers, QuickBooks: Premier Manufacturing & Wholesale Edition 2005 offers the customized tools you need to streamline workflow and manage your finances more effectively. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284224 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER MFG WHOLESALE ED 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Features

• Designed for rental property owners; ideal for fewer than 10 rental properties
• Easily organize rental income and expenses in one place
• Two-step set up; simply install and enter basic property information
• Details property performance; instant answers to questions about profitability
• Schedule E category list shows what's deductible.

Reviews (1)

User Unfriendly
Poor program.It is not compatable with any other quicken software, and does not allow for any bank/ccard downloads.You need to enter each item individually, making it very time consuming.This is no better than a simple excel spreadsheet. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Quicken 2005 Premier Home & Business - Financial Management - PCQuicken 2005 Premier Home & Business includes exclusive features to help you manage your business finances, plus everything in Quicken 2005 Premier. See how your business is doing, track multiple jobs, send out customized invoices, track your taxes, and generate business reports. Over 100 customer-driven improvements make it easier than ever to get what you need out of your Quicken software! Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 283652 - QUICKEN 2005 PREMIER HOME & BUSINESS and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Includes all features in Quicken 2005 Premier
• Powerful tool for managing business and personal finances
• Create customizable estimates and invoices
• Generate business reports and graphs, including Schedule C
• Track accounts receivable and payable

Reviews (26)

Not so bad
Having read all the bad reviews and forced to upgrade from Q2002, I had to take the leap in order to continue with my porfolio dounloads and mgt.I knew I didn't want MS Money from an earlier try about 2 yrs ago.Anyway, I use it for checkbook entries/family expense management and investments/portfolio management.It converted everything from Q2002 without a hitch and I haven't had any problems.Unlike some other problem areas, I do not use the bill pay portion of Quicken.I can't download my bank transactions since they still use QIF, but I knew this ahead of time from all the Amazon reviews.In order to get the same functions as Q2002 deluxe, I had to get the Premier Home and Business.One of the other reviewers hit the nail on the head regarding the underhanded way Intuit tries to get our money.I just wish there was another competitor other than MS Money.....maybe there will be soon.

Massive feature creep AND buggy online banking
Like many of the other reviewers, I've been using Quicken for quite some time. I was perfectly happy with Q2002, but Intuit wanted more of my money and started turning off all my online access unless I upgraded.

Q2005 has added any number of useless new "features" and you cannot seem to turn them off. Further, they insist on displaying a number of these "features" on the main register screens, cluttering up the display. I can no longer have my banking browser window open along with Quicken because the Quicken screen has all this extra junk around the register.

Add features fine. But let me ignore them, please. Don't clutter the screen with buttons and panes that I don't want to use. The technical term for this is "feature creep" where a good program is ruined by too many features. This program is becoming as unwieldy and impossible as Microsoft Word.

***One glaring bug***

When I schedule an online payment (using my bank's online banking), the scheduled payment appears in the register's "Num" column WITH A CHECK NUMBER. In my case, this check number happens to be a duplicate of previous check numbers (it's about 200 less than my current check number). Since I write many more online checks than paper ones, it will eventually march through my paper check numbers, creating all sorts of confusion. To fix this, one has to manually change the "Num" field (and can do so only after the payment is sent) to EFT or whatever you usually use to indicate an online (numberless) payment.What a royal pain!!!

Good update, no problems here

The bad reviews given to this product almost made me decide against upgrading from my older version (2002). But I decided to do it anyway, and I'm glad I did.

I encountered no problems and everything works pretty much the way it always did. I don't see any great improvements, and I don't like change, so I wish I hadn't been forced into upgrading (they discontinued support for the old version, including updating).

As in any program upgrade, there appear to be many things they changed for change sake, rather than for improved performance, but these were minor and just take a bit of getting used to.

Perhaps I just don't use the functions that caused problems for everyone else, but I use the portfolio, invoicing, scheduled payments, etc., plus the retirement and savings modules, etc. I do not sych to the Quicken website and use the update feature only to update prices on my portfolio.

Since everyone uses and needs different functions, the problems that other people encounter may not affect you at all. Like me, you may find it a perfectly satisfactory upgrade.

I actually like Quicken 2005....
Ok, I see a ton of bad reviews for Quicken 2005 PH&B, but I actually like it.I think the big difference between me and a lot of other people here is that I have never used Quicken before (or any other Quicken-type software).So I never had to go through an upgrade process or deal with anything like that.If you are starting fresh, I'd have to recommend Quicken 2005 to you.Now, I understand that Quicken is using the new OFX format.My credit cards are using this format, but my banks are not.So I have to enter some stuff in on my own.That's fine with me.Most of my stuff comes through the credit cards anyways.

I've never experienced any bugs or incorrect calculations.The first thing I did after installing the software was update it to Release 3 so maybe that's why.I'd suggest that everybody does the same.

Quicken 2005 is very powerful and very organized and I enjoy using it.

More glitches from Intuit
I'd already purchased Quicken 2005 when I read these reviews, so I put it on my laptop so that it wouldn't mess up my previous versions on the desktop machine.It synced perfectly with my bank--once.Now it says "invalid PIN" for my bank, although the PIN is not invalid; it's still the same one with which I can access the account otherwise.

Chalk up another glitch for this program, and beware: it may work once, but it won't work again.Sigh. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Retail Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 5 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Premier Retail Edition 2005 is designed specifically to help you manage your retail business more effectively. Use it alone, or pair it with QuickBooks Point of Sale software (sold separately) to transfer sales, inventory and customer information to your books in one quick step. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284199 - QUICKBOOKS 2005 PREMIER 5U WIN - and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Product Description

The QuickLink-Pen Elite is the latest version of the very popular and successful QuickLink-Pen, providing users with new and improved electronic note-taking capabilities: reads notes and definitions aloud; beams to Smartphones, as well as to PDAs and PCs; includes English dictionary definitions; USB connection to PC.Used just like a yellow highlighter, the QuickLink-Pen Elite allows the user to collect, electronically, notes from any printed text - anytime, anywhere!The QuickLink-Pen Elite is ideal for students, doctors, business people, or researchers who need the ability to quickly and easily take notes whenever and wherever they might be - in a library, on a plane, or in a business meeting. ... Read more

Features

• USB and IrDA infra red ports, PC compatible
• Stores up to 1,000 pages of text; text-to-speech software
• Supports English, German, Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and French
• Exports data to Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet Explorer
• 97% OCR accuracy, recognizes 6-22 point font sizes

Reviews (4)

Doesn't work with OS X
I want to like this thing, but I can't, for it does not work at all with OS X.

So, if, like me, you run Apples, just pass on by this page because the thing will not work for you.

Not as good as the C-Pen 800C
I'm measuring, first and foremost, ease and precision of scanning. Speed of scanning and ease of installation on the computer are, in my mind, about the same for both this, the Wizcom QuickLink Elite, and the C-Pen 800C. They differ sufficiently, however, in the primary question of ease and quality of scanning. For the record, I bought both at the same time, with the intent of keeping the better of the two. You can just go ahead and buy the C-Pen 800C.
I have had one horrible experience with a pen scanner by Siemens, the "Pocket Reader." It was truly useless. It scanned so poorly that I just put it aside. By the time I though to return it, Siemens was no longer making it, and I couldn't get customer service here in the U.S.
The Wizcom QuickLink Elite is not so bad. It's serviceable. I don't think it lives up to its 95% accuracy guarantee, but perhaps meets a 90% threshold, measured impressionistically. It's interface is also reasonable and satisfactory.
However, the C-Pen 800C is even more precise, truly approaching 95%. Moreover, if you discount errors in spacing from this accuracy percentage, its precision is even higher. Whereas the Wizcom is just as likely to make a content error, misread letters, etc., the 800C's errors are more likely to be the absence of a space when there should be one. A rare missed space doesn't make you puzzle over the text when you come back to it two months later.
C-Pen is also lighter, and it's rechargeable, so while it's more expensive, in the long run, you'll save on batteries.
Both have comparable single-language dictionaries, though Wizcom has more built in or for free (C-Pen allows you one free dictionary, including bilingual ones). Wizcom is a only a bit slower on the uptake, but significantly more likely to warn you "Scan too fast." I've never had that from C-Pen, and again, the precision at any speed is appreciably better with C-Pen.
Both have comparable PC and PDA compatibility capacity.

Too much capability can be a bad thing....
I chose this device over the competitor products based on (1) ergonomics, (2) local device controls, and (3) independent operation from the PC.Unfortunately, the device software has fallen prey to the age-old issues of any device that tries to perform "smart" syncing operations.It gets confused...

My goal was to use the pen as a remote scanning device and then be able to upload the scanned text to either my home PC or my laptop.I installed the desktop application on both machines with no apparent problems.However, after successfully syncing with one machine, a subsequent attempt to sync with the second machine failed miserably.One such failure caused me to permanently lose 2 hours worth of scanned input.I was horrified.

I need a scanning pen that is exactly just that.A scanner.I don't need a smart device that wants to 'remember' what I've done or what I want to do.I don't get this type of behavior with my digital camera or my flatbed scanner, so I don't expect it from a pen.When you perform an alleged upload operation, the software tries to write information back into the pen.If I'm "uploading" then I don't want anything to be "downloaded" into the pen... period.This is the bane of my tests and the failures.

There are certainly other factors that affected decision to return the equipment to the manufacturer for refund, such as sluggish processing times between scans, and extremely poor ability to read Times New Roman (note: all their samples are in Arial, but find a textbook that isn't TNR!).I could still have lived with these ideosyncracies if it weren't for the high risk of data loss.This was intended to be a time saver, but it simply wasn't.

My rating here is based on the hardware.This device could be vastly improved with a change in software philosophy.Just upload the data and don't second-guess the operator.

Portable, useful, and easy to use
I received QuickLink Elite pen today and have been testing it for the past 6 hours. Now I am finished, I would like to share my thought about this device with you. The box came with the content as described by Amazon. My surprise was that the 135 page color manual, I thought those were extinct! That is in addition to the PDF one in the CD.

Installation on Windows XP Pro. SP2 (Tablet edition) went smoothly, the instructions on the self run CD were easy to follow. You basically install the driver for the cable [serial at the device connector to USB (II in my case) at the PC end], then you install the desktop application which is a very basic utility that lists the files on your pen, and allows you to communicate, change settings, transfer data, and add software to your pen. Once you install the software, you will be asked to connect the device to the computer to start the communication. Initially I had a problem connecting to the device because it conflicted with Bluetooth serial ports. So I disabled the Bluetooth serial ports and removed some extra unused serial COM ports from the computer device manager. I reinstalled the pen drive from the CD, restarted the computer but before I connect again I did one more IMPORTANT step that is not mentioned anywhere. You Baud rate on the pen (go to settings, communications, baud rate) must be the same as your computer COM port (go to device manager, right click on the new COM port), choose a rate, in my case 57600 worked best. After that I managed to exchange files, install software to the pen. In addition, It tried the IrDA with my laptop, the text file was transferred instantly. PDA (iPAQ) recognize the device but transfer of files needed third-party software (Peacmaker $15). In their website, they say there will be an upgrade where third party will not be needed.

After that scanning the text went smoothly, I also scanned small image ( max 8 mm wide), installed the tables software on the pen, scanned directly on the PC ... all went very well. I scanned a type font 10 textbook, out of the total 543,24 were mis-recognized (some missing one letter, some had capital letter in the middle, while others were just a mess). That is about 95.5% accuracy, not bad, considering that I get about 85% with a flatbed scanner. It takes me about 5 to 6 seconds per line (about 5 minutes per page), so this is truly for text snippets rather than a whole page scanning. Image scanning is useful for signatures, Greek letters, etc. Quality is just OK, you can also scan tables, business cards (to outlook), URLs (get sent to favorites) with the included add-ins on the CD, and bar codes (additional downloads from the wizcom website). All in all I will recommend this device for students, researchers, & people who type slow or rather collect different set of texts from books, journals, etc. It fits 1000 pages internal memory, besides scanning directly to your word processor. It has built in English dictionary, good for language students. It also read aloud any text that is scanned (I do not see the use of this one) but the pen comes with earphone with volume controls.
All in all, this pen turn out as it was described and I think it is a keeper. Thanks for reading this long review and I hope it helped someone.
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Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks 2005 Premier - Complete Product - Financial Management - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks Premier 2005 includes all the features of Basic and Pro 2005 plus business planning tools to help you meet more specialized needs.Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284469 - QUICKBOOKS 2005 PREMIER WIN - and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Product Description

Business Plan Pro 2005 Premier Edition ... Read more

Features

• 2 expert business and marketing planning books included
• Business-planning software with helpful collaboration tools
• 400+ sample plans; expert instructions and examples at every step
• Easily exports to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF
• Built-in Plan Review ensures bullet-proof financials

Product Description

Intuit, Inc (292582) TURBOTAX PREMIER V2004 WIN/MAC $20 IN-BOX REBATE, OFFER VALID FOR PURCHA ... Read more

Features

• Maximize 401(k) contributions without decreasing take-home pay
• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Help and advice for investments, Schedule C businesses, and rental property
• Extra guidance on business asset depreciation and home-office deductions
• Assistance with reporting stocks, bonds, and mutual funds

Reviews (32)

Intuit Customer Support Lacking
Received TurboTax Premier disc from Amazon.During installation, kept getting different installation errors.Intuit website posted SEVERAL options as work-arounds.Spent too much time trying to fix what ended up being a defective disc.On-line chat w/ Intuit rep was frustrating, at best.Intuit would not ship replacment disc direct since Amazon is not an "authorized" seller.Amazon shipped replacement disc (took too many days, Amazon).
Response on Intuit's website about TurboTax completely unacceptable.Defective product and not ready for market.Have used TT for 15 years - won't be using it next year.

turbo tax premier 2004
Bummed I couldn't find the home and business (guess their not making it anymore) This program wouldn't allow me to import information from previous years. I've always been able to transfer from last years Turbo tax home and business forms. I had to re-type everything manually. No prompt to do it and when I went to the pull down menu I couldn't prompt it to import data. Not user friendly, it used to be better.

Don't bother...
I think this program was written by a 12 year old; the interface and style of the program are poorly done.Furthermore, this program installs spyware on you're computer, which causes the computer to crash when you switch between useres.

Not perfect, but gets the job done
This was my first year doing taxes for myself.I've always been skeptical about using software to get them done, so I usually pay too much to a CPA to do them for me.After a lot of encouragement from friends I decided to give this a try.Other than some ESPP sales, my return was pretty simple.I bought the Premier version.

What I liked:

- Nice interview process.Of course, it helped that I had prior year returns that had been prepared by a professional, so I kind of knew what the questions meant.
- Easy import of W2 and 1099 information.
- A check to make sure the return contained no errors.
- Online support from Intuit was very prompt.

Some things I would have liked to see:

- There's a screen where it tells you how much you can contribute to a Roth IRA, but it doesn't put the information on the instruction sheet when you print the return for filing.That would be useful.

Bugs that I encountered:

Basically lots of printing-related bugs.
- When I tried to print from the file->print menu, and asked it to print a return for filing, it only printed the federal return.I had to go to the "print" tab and print return for filing to PDF, and then it printed both federal and state.
- I had the same problem when using the file->print menu to print a copy of the returns and worksheets for personal records.So I just printed the federal portion using this.
- The method for printing the copy for records (including worksheets) to pdf was not as straightforward as when printing the return for filing.I couldn't figure it out so I used Intuit's online support.However, even thought I followed the instructions from them, I found that it did not print all of the worksheets.I contacted them about this and was told to just print to paper.So I have to live without a pdf copy of my return containing all the worksheets.

Works Well and is Easy To Use
I purchased TurboTax Premier and the state software. I was able to do a joint tax return of moderate complexity in one afternoon. The prompts and other messages were very helpful. I recommend this software. ... Read more