Product Description

Peachtree Accounting 2005.Peachtree Accounting 2005 is the helpful entry-level accounting solution for small businesses transitioning from a manual or personal finance-based system. Packed with all the standard features G/L,A/R,A/P, basic inventory, payroll1 and over 100 customizable reports Peachtree Accounting offers the tools to help you automate your accounting with confidence. Peachtree Today the Business Resource Center helps you get an instant snapshot of your business financials, along with other functions that help you monitor and manage your business more effectively. Peachtree Accounting 2005 helps you get the insight behind your numbers. ... Read more

Features

• New-company setup wizard; 20+ demos; multiple help options
• Entry-level automated accounting for small businesses
• Bill paying; check writing; invoicing; bank reconciliation
• Basic inventory; payroll; 100+ customizable reports
• Peachtree Today for an instant snapshot of business financials

Reviews (15)

Peachtree Brings Down Visual Basic
We have VB6 and VB.NET installed on our machines. We installed Peachtree Accounting on one of these machines. The Peachtree product degrades VB6 and, since our business is creating VB6/.NET software it is a threat to our business. Example, everytime we start VB6 Peachtree Accounting goes into its install process, however, it is already installed! Another example, everytime we complie a VB6 application (that is everytime we try to execute it in testing) Peachtree Accounting goes into its install process! This is bizarre. To add insult to injury the customer must pay for Best Software's support. So here we are with defective software that comprimises our ability to do business and we have to pay to have Best fix what is their poor quality software!!??? Bizarre.

Importance of Peachtree Software to end user
I have been using Peachtree Accounting and Quickbooks software for the past eight years and I think Peachtree is better in terms of presentation especiallyfor the financial reports.

In Quickbooks, anybody can use it in terms of compilation of books but the reporting is not presentable enough to impress the end user especially the big bosses,while in Peachtree Accounting it is more complicated to non accountants but the financial reporting is more impressive.

Small business user...
I'm an engineer and normally I don't write review at all, except for this time. I started a new business a year ago and I've been looking for an accounting package to run the business. While searching, I'm using MS excel for a while. It's OK but I spend too much time to set it up weekly and enter daily expenes and sales journals. And I have not mention the time that I spend to maintain the customer, Inventory list and do payroll. To make a story short, I have another fulltime job and I can only work on the business book at night. Each night, I would spend at least 2-3 hours and I can't afford this because I have 2 small kids too.
Since I brought the PeachTree 2005, I only spend 15-30 minutes to to all the needed tasks and run all different reports as I could not do in the spreadsheets.
I have to admit that the software a bit confuse and hard to set it up in the begining especially for those who has no acounting backgroud. To start all I need is to import the customer list and the inventory then it's ready to use. Once you start use the software, and you can fine-tune what you need. Accounting is very principal but each business runs it differently.
Over all I'm very happy with the product although I'm still learning new features from it every day after using it for 4 months.

Want a refund..............
I am totally disgusted with this Peachtree Accounting 2005. Bought it in December, have not used it yet cause it is so darn complicated. Been reading the "User's Guide" that comes with the software and finally made a call to the tech support (it was still free-not charging me yet)to ask them. Told them we were a small company, I wanted to know how to enter our employees and let ME figure their paychecks without entering tax tables or buying their tax service. The tech told me how and I asked him to give me a page number in the "User's Guide" so I could look it up and follow along. Well, guess what?? It is NOT in the "User's Guide"!!!Not sure what good a "User's Guide" does for me if the company only puts in instructions that benefit THEM-they want you to sign up for The Peachtree Payroll Tax Service, which of course, is NOT free. Also, talked to our personal CPA and he said you almost had to be an accountant to be able to use it. So I have given up!!!

Thanks, TextbookBiz
I'm glad I read TextbookBiz's warning regarding product registration.My friend uses PA 2005 and it seems easy enough, even though previously I had used Quickbooks (a few years back).I liked PA 2005's interface, so I came to Amazon to buy a copy for myself.There are people selling "new & used" for 1/5 the regular price, and I was naturally suspicious.After reading TextbookBiz's review I called up teh publisher on my dime and, indeed, they told me once a copy is registered, there's no way to re-install it, so you cannot install teh same copy on two PCs and you cannot transfer / sell the copy to someone else!

Of course, this is irksome for legit users, too.This is basically product activation, and you cannot use it on more than one computer.For $180 I really expect to be able to use this on all my PCs.I'd even be willing to send the company a picture to prove these are indeed my personal computers.

Thanks to TextbookBiz, I did not fall for the scams in the new & used section.I hope Amazon removes those listings. ... Read more

Product Description

Peachtree Timeslips 2005.Having an effective time and billing system is an essential part of successfully running a service business. Timeslips 2005 helps your business become more efficient and your billings become more accurate so that you can capitalize on every opportunity to turn more of your time into money. The powerful, well established feature set is presented in a user-friendly interface, making Timeslips 2005 an incredibly capable product that requires very little time to learn, especially when using the new built-in training videos included within the software. With new features such as Microsoft Outlook Integration and interactive bill preview, it offers the perfect combination of powerful functionality and ease-of-use. System Requirements:300 MHz Pentium II computer minimum, IBM Compatible 450 MHz Pentium II or higher recommended. Windows XP SP1, Windows 2000 SP3, Windows ME, Windows 98 SE or Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6a. Product will not operate in a Windows Terminal Server Environment using Windows Terminal Services. 64MB RAM Minimum, 128MB recommended ... Read more

Features

• Improves every step of even the most complex billing cycle
• Create alerts to keep from overlooking important information
• Easily design professional-looking bill templates
• Customizable control panel; 2-way integration with Microsoft Outlook
• User-friendly interface; ideal for anyone who bills for their services

Product Description

Best Software Simply Accounting 2005 Basic - Complete Product - Accounting - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCSimply Accounting 2005 Basic was designed for fast moving businesses. It's easy to learn and use, yet powerful enough to keep up with all your accounting needs. Whether you sell products or services, Simply Accounting Basic has all you need to run your business. It automates everything from making purchases to making sales and everything in between. It's even flexible enough to meet the most demanding payroll requirements. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theBest Soft SAB2005RT - SIMPLY ACCOUNTING 2005 BASIC FOR WIN 98SE/2K/ME/NT/XP and all other Best Soft Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Track projects; over 100 industry-specific starter templates
• Easy-to-use accounting tools for running a business
• Manage customers and suppliers; run business reports
• Handle employee payroll; generate checks and invoices
• Productivity tips and advice for 100+ business types

Reviews (2)

Accounting Idiot
I currently use Ver. 2004 and have not upgraded to v. 2005 but I can say that I love this software.It is inexpensive and does everything you need it to do.

I only took one accounting class (hated it) almost 15 years ago so I knew very little about how to keep my own books.I just started my own business and thought I should have some formal record of my financials even if my accountant would have to clean it up later.Simply accounting had wonderful tutorials on CD (included) and I was able to go directly to what area I needed help with.I have to admit that I had to start over with a new company a couple of times because I messed up some entries, but that was because I am not an accountant and didn't want a bunch of adjustments to correct entries.

I read the other review and yes, you do get a pop-up window that asks if you are sure you want to enter something older than 7 days, but you can change that in the options.I don't have a lot of paperwork yet so I probably enter documents in maybe once or twice a month and I have NO problems with these infrequent entries.

I even created my own personalized invoices, POs, receipts, etcthat match my letterhead.I can email or print these out for clients.It sends emails through Outlook.

The best part is the wizard.When you set up a new company, the wizard will ask you what type of business you are running and then develop an account list based on that.I was able to add and delete my own as I went along.

If you believe you can be taught accounting, give this program a try.

Hard to use and unforgiving of errors
I've used Simply Accounting for my small business for 12 months. It is a decent basic accounting package with all the features you would expect. However, it is hard to work with and extremely unforgiving.

The first problem is that Simply Accounting assumes that you will always enter all transactions in ascending date order, and that you use the program at least every week. The root cause is Simply Accounting's concept of the "current session date". The program complains if you enter any transaction that is more than 7 days before or after this date. It also complains if you then try to move the session date to another date more than 7 days away -- as if this were some major accounting heresy. So if you are going through your paperwork catching up on your accounts at the end of the month, this gets incredibly annoying very quickly.

Secondly, if you ever have the temerity to enter one transaction that precedes any other, you get another warning that the earlier transaction will affect any reports you might have run. Gee, there's a surprise. There is no way to turn this annoying warning off. So you'd better order all your paperwork by date, or else suffer death by a thousand clicks to dismiss this warning message every time.

Thirdly, if you make a mistake entering a transaction, there is no way to go back and correct the transaction. You can reverse transactions, but this means adding a second transaction to back out the old one and a third for the corrected transaction. I understand that this is important for audit trail purposes, but make it possible to collapse the audit trail into a single transaction. If you're just fat fingered like me or forget to change the date from the last transaction (this happens to me a lot), your accounts become littered with incorrect transactions and their reversals -- three transactions for each mistake. If renders any kind of reporting on account transactions almost useless, because the debit and credit columns are swelled by (irrelevant) transaction errors and their corrections. I'm a one-man business -- I don't need an audit trail to show that I messed up the date of a payment or invoice. It obscures the view of how well/badly my business is actually doing.

The user interface compounds these problems. For most transactions, you want to enter the date, the payee or payor, the amount(s), and the account(s) to book the expense/revenue against. However, the forms are not laid out in this order on the screen. You'll need to navigate by mousing and clicking extensively to get to these fields and enter the relevant information. This is why it's so very easy to get the wrong date for a transaction -- not only is the date field not the first on the form, you need to press Tab more than 6 times to get there from the payee/payor field. To enter the account efficiently, you'll need to have memorized its 4 digit code. No, you can't start typing the first few characters of the name of the account and have the software auto-complete. If you click on the pick-list of accounts, they are ordered by account code and not alphabetically, which makes it vastly harder to find the account you want to use.

Finally, the software assumes you are fluent in accounting jargon, terminology and practices. It claims to have a mode where it uses "non accounting terms" but this is more confusing than using the actual terms themselves. There's no help for novice business owners -- you'll need to get a basic grounding in account-keeping because the software and manuals offer little to no help. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale v.4.0 Pro Multi-Store - Complete Product - Financial Management - 1 User(s) Complete Product - PCQuickBooks Point of Sale Pro Multi-Store is easy-to-use retail software that allows you to manage up to 10 stores from a single location and track sales information and inventory at each of the stores. It includes all the features of Point of Sale: Pro. Use it alone or get it bundled with hardware components that can save you time and reduce errors.** Works with any QuickBooks: Pro or Premier Edition (2003-2005) and Enterprise Solutions (version 1.0-5.0).Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284235 - QUICKBOOKS POS 4.0 PRO MS RETAIL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Inc (292569) TURBOTAX BASIC V2004 ... Read more

Features

• Assists calculating optimum withholding situation for personal needs
• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Imports data from Quicken, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Money software
• Puts answers on IRS-approved forms; double checks return for accuracy
• Includes latest tax law changes; download and import W-2 and 1099 forms online

Reviews (28)

Not all tax programs are equal
We used TurboTax for a couple of years then switched to TaxCut on the advice of friends. We were amazed at how much more money TaxCut saved us! TaxCut is more knowledgeable when it comes to making the most of ones deductions. We are sorry we didn't switch last year.

I should have filled out forms by hand.
I guess TurboTax is a *little* bit better than filling out forms by hand. I've used TaxCut the last few years and found its interface fine, if not spectacular. I decided to try TurboTax this year because I got the Mac and PC version on one disc and I wasn't sure which computer I was going to do taxes on yet. While both programs cover a lot of the same ground in the same way, I keep running into extremely frustrating aspects of TurboTax. For example:

* Several times, I have been asked to calculate amounts myself. Didn't I buy software so I wouldn't have to do that?

* A few times I have been given cryptic choices on how I want my obligations computed. In TaxCut, these would always have a recommendation ("We recommend not claiming the dog as a dependent").

* To get actual advice with TurboTax, it costs a minimum of $29.99 and you must sign up on their webpage. TaxCut provides enough answers to questions with the software that I've never had to call their (free) advice line.

* Some things just aren't included with the program. For example, I donated a lot of furniture to charity this last year. I had to compute the resale value for everything myself. There's a utility for TurboTax which computes values for you. You can order it off the website for $20 (more than TurboTax costs).

None of these are show stoppers, really. But they are significant slower-downers. I definitely haven't saved any time and money this year because of purchasing TurboTax and in the past four years, I've felt that I *did* save time and money by using TaxCut. And that's the bottom line.

Don't Let the Reviews Scare You, Turbotax is Still Great
I was reluctant to buy Turbotax again this year because of all the negative reviews.I decided taking a chance with Turbotax was still more desirable than paying someone to do my taxes for me, though, so I bought it anyway.It worked perfectly.I had no problems loading or using the software.However, I do recommend downloading the updates; they must be there for a reason.

Did the trick for me
I have used both TurboTax and TaxCut over the years and I prefer TurboTax.TaxCut gets the job done, but TurboTax is a more polished product.I did my 2004 taxes with TurboTax Basic and it did everything I asked of it.Install went smoothly.While the Basic edition lacks some of the features of the the upmarket products, I still managed to do what I needed to do, which includedseveral mutual fund sales this year.

Unlike some of the other users who have had negative experiences, I have run into no examples of spyware and the program installed flawlessly.After an automatic update, I was able to quickly get going.TurboTax made my taxes as painless as they can be...

AVOID THIS PRODUCT -- VERY BAD
I have used Turbo Tax for the past 3 years, and have loved it. It was easy to install, pretty straightforward to use.

So when I sat down to install 2004, I didn't give it a second thought. However, the product developers probably need to go back to school on this one, and the manufacturer needs to issue a major apology to everyone who has tried to use this.

I consider myself way above average on the computer skills side. I could not get the product to load on a Compaq with Windows ME operating system. I kept getting error messages to install a second disk. It only comes with one.

I took it to another machine, and tried installing it on a Dell with Windows XP-Professional Edition. Here too, it would not install properly. It indicated that the installation was finished. However, it didn't install several files needed to make it work. It downloaded an update.You have to turn your computer off, then back on to install the update. The update wouldn't install.In fact the computer stalled. Had to reboot again, and start from scratch.

Since I was unable to install the product on either machine, I can't tell you how it handles the routines of calculating your income tax. My guess is that it is very error prone. If you used Turbo Tax, I'd pay an accountant to review your numbers to see that they are correct. Then I'd send the bills to Turbo Tax.

For me, I'm now checking out other products.
Since it won't install on either machine ... Read more

Product Description

Myob BusinessEssentials Pro - Complete Product - Management - PCBusinessEssentials Pro is a complete suite of business software that provides all the tools you need for business forecasting and planning, full-featured accounting and financial management, appointment scheduling, employee file management, and more. Rely on BusinessEssentials Pro with complete confidence to help you Mind Your Own Business. Smarter.Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theMyob US MBPRW - MYOB BUSINESS ESSENTIALS PRO 2005 WIN - ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR SB and all other Myob US Software - Misc ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ok for extremely small companies
We purcahsed this to do forecasting for our company.However, I quickly found it extremley limited for doing forecasting.For small home businesses this may be ok. After doing more research and reading reviews I use DecisionPro by Vanguard Software. Whatever you decide - avoid the Excel plug-in software programs out there altogether - those are worthless. ... Read more

Product Description

Quicken WillMaker Plus 2004 provides you with the legal forms you need to help protect your family's future. Each interactive form takes you through a step-by-step interview - Quicken WillMaker Plus assembles the documents you need based on your answers. Includes Wills and Living Trusts, Healthcare Directives, Powers of Attorney, Child and Elder Care Agreements, and more! ... Read more

Features

• Create a will that reflects your needs, to make sure friends and family are provided for
• Avoid expensive probate fees by creting a living trust, including an AB(bypass) that saves you from heavy estate taxes
• Name a trusted family member or friend to care for your finances in case you can't do it yourself
• Save money for your survivors by handling your final arrangements in advance
• Create executor documents that make sure your estate is handled according to your wishes

Reviews (1)

2004 Quicken Willmaker
This software thinks of every form you'd ever need, whether you're the person drawing up your own will or the executor of someone else's.The only drawback - it doesn't download to a Word doc for easy transport.It also stores vital contact info + provides options for different states. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

MYOB FirstEdge provides all the basic accounting and business management tools for your small business in a package that is easy to use and quick to learn. Everything you need in FirstEdge is a click away and organized sensibly for an easy-to-navigate work environment.

Getting started with FirstEdge is quick and easy. The New Company File assistant walks you through a few simple steps to help you name your company data file, choose your accounts list from the charts provided, and assign your fiscal year. FirstEdge provides "at-a-glance" looks at all your business transactions, so you know who owes you money and when it's due. You can also view and create all financial transactions from a single window in the Bank Register, e-mail invoices in PDF format to your customers for faster payment, and import your downloaded bank statements with just one click. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good for what it is
I'm a little confused by some of the negative reviews. MYOB offers a trial download.You can sample it to see if it provides what you're after.

FirstEdge is fairly simple, but provides the basics required for a very small business.It's worked well for my simple needs and does what it claims to do.Check the feature list and make sure you're covered.

This product is great !
Read all the reviews - was a little skeptical but bought it anyway because MYOB is highly recommended by other Mac users - especially the Mac specialists and Apple retail consultants.MYOB's been developing for the Mac longer than anyone else including Quicken.

The interface has a diagram at each point in the product so I know what I can do in each section.Also the install and set-up is easy. The overall product was easy to use - did not have to call technical support - the online help system worked for me - plus there's a guide in the box. After a couple of sales invoices I was able to get the hang of it - and everythings linked - all my customer information gets saved including payments and deposits.

For the money spent on my business accounting - this was a good low cost investment to get me over the basics.Definitely better than trying to use a larger product like Quickbooks -which was way more than I needed or continuing to use Excel.I say give yourself at least 20 days of actually using the product before deciding whether or not its working.MYOB takes the product back within 30 days so there's no risk.

What a frustrating experience this has been
Do not, I repeat, do not buy this program unless you love being frustrated at every turn. This program has screwed up my bookkeeping so badly - thanks to it's trial versions" that I am simply going to start over with Quicken. I now can't even access the program - the program I PURCHASED - and it will cost me a minimum of $40($4 per minute, $40 minimum) to talk to a tech support person. What a rip off. Bye-bye first edge, hello quicken.

As bad as it sounds
I wish that I had paid more attention to the critical reviews above. Instead, I thought a Mac product had to be good. Unfortunately, though it advertises great things, one can't even save changed versions of the forms it provides. There is no call in number for initial free tech support. The email advice their tech support people sent me failed to solve the problem. I am sorely disappointed and ready to return the product to Amazon, which sold it to me.

Oh what a dissapointment!
I purchased First edge last year right after I bought my new I Mac.Love my Mac hate this software program!I agree with the other reviewers, no tech support whatsoever!I had use Quickbboks on my old PC but never could figure this thing out so I returned it!I wonder how much business MYOB has lost due to the no tech support rule.They could use a crash course in customer service.Will never purchase any products from this company again unless they change their policies!
Marcus Allison ... Read more

Product Description

Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 5 User .Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 is designed to assist todayâs small business owners with up to 50 employees who need robust functionality and in-depth business analysis tools for their service- or product-oriented business. By offering an advanced solution that provides userfriendly tools,multiple help options, and additional functionality such as time and billing, advanced inventory, job costing and audit trails, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 makes it easy to upgrade your accounting to meet your expanding business needs. Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 provides: fast start-up, check writing, invoicing, purchasing, bank reconciliation, project tracking, in-depth inventory, payroll, time and billing, audit trails, screen-level security, integration with UPS shipping and more.. ... Read more

Features

• New-company setup wizard; multiple help options
• Robust, automated accounting features for small businesses
• Bill paying; check writing; invoicing; payroll solutions; audit trails
• In-depth inventory; over 125 reports; customizable forms
• Peachtree Today for an instant snapshot of business financials

Reviews (2)

Out Dated User Interface!
Please look around and be more futuristic.
Peachtree has lots of unfixed bugs and is out dated. 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.

Did not test it, but I think the Multi User be worse!
I only tested the Single User one.
We are not in an industrial age any more! We want better software, much easier to use, and better interface.Why Peachtree is that hard? Remember DOS? How hard it was when Windows came about? Now peachtree is like that if you have used better software: Old tech. ... Read more

Features

• Tax software guides users through IRS returns
• Interview-based wizard system
• Up-to-date with latest federal tax law
• Checks math and audit flags
• Very simple to use

Reviews (34)

TurboTax Impossible to Download!
TurboTax may or may not be a good product; I was never able to successfully download it!

Unfortunately I needed it the day I purchased it, and the "Help" offered by the Amazon.com links were not specific enough to identify the source of the trouble.After three hours I gave up and requested a refund.

Updates a pain, but TurboTax did its job
I didn't have a problem using TurboTax last year (even with the software activation) so I used it again this year.The software with its interview format worked for me, was able to save my return as pdf and e-file without a hassle.The only real pain was getting the updates.I had to go to Intuit's website to look for info and play around with my broadband connection to get the updates to download.

My return has gotten easier over the past few years but with the update annoyance, I may just buy TaxCut next year. I don't import last year's stuff so Intuit - give me a reason to get TurboTax 2004.

Worth it if you're going to itemize...otherwise forget it
Okay, the download process was a nightmare as described by my earlier review.However, three hours later I have a very comprehensive itemized return, which would have been way too complex to do on my own without the guidance of the filing questions.The good news is that I had done my taxes by hand last night and came up with a large amount owed, and after using the deductions calculator in TurboTax ended up with a refund instead.So it more than paid for itself.
My major complaint is that there appears to be no way to review the content of your return until the very last "print and submit" step, and I wanted to check the numbers prior to actually submitting it.

Frustrating download errors!
After 20 or 30 attempts to run the V-box installer program after dowloading it from the Amazon digital library, I was just about to request a refund when my boyfriend starting doing some troubleshooting research for me.Here's what he figured out:
Once you download the installer and try to run it, if you keep getting the error: "3001 Encountered unexpected error when trying to locate product...etc.", there is a browser setting you need to change. (This applies to IE 6.0+, Windows 2000 and XP at a minimum, since I attempted the install on 2 different machines).
Go to Tools-->Internet Options in your browser menu, then to the Connections tab and the LAN Settings button.Uncheck the "Automatically Detect Settings" box if it is checked and try running the installer again.Worked for me.Just be sure to recheck the box and close your browser afterwards.
Seeing as how frustrating just OBTAINING the software was, I'm really skeptical about using it, especially after reading all the other reviews...

The Last Time I Will Use Turbo Tax
When it imported my information from 2002 it also picked up internet connection data that is no longer valid. Since then I have gone to broadband with a new ISP. It simply refuses to recognize my new connection information. When I tried to update the program by going to their support site through my browser, I simply could not get on despite repeated attempts. I guess everyone is trying to get support for this buggy software. As a result, I can't print out some of my forms because it tells me I must update first. Now it is totally useless.BEWARE ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Inc (292596) TURBOTAX MULTI STATE 45 V2004 ... Read more

Features

• Double-checks for errors and omissions
• Step-by-step guidance for completing state taxes
• Asks simple questions and completes state-approved forms
• Transfers data automatically from TurboTax federal return
• Automatically performs all calculations for convenience

Reviews (12)

Terrible software and even worse support
TurboTax is buggy and the support is terrible!You cannot update your state information after the initial review without manually editing the tax forms.If the field involves computations, you must do these manually after changing it.If you try to re-run the interview, it just brings you to the "finish" screen.I talked to four different people from TurboTax support about this.They say it's a known bug and they have no plans to fix it.If I wanted to manually edit to forms, I wouldn't have purchased this software!If you make changes to the federal, TurboTax state isn't necessarily updated.I received the following ridiculous suggestions from support:clear your cookies (I'm not using the web version); delete this file, but make sure you empty the recycling bin (what??); go to forms and click delete form (there is no delete option).I don't know where they get these ideas, but support isn't helpful when you know more than they do!

Turbotax Failed
Don't believe the rating of one.A minus 5 would have been more appropriate. After six years of being a faithful Turbotax user, the changes they have made in 2004 are convincing me never to use their product again - even if I could.After purchasing the downloadable version it failed to unzip. Three hours on the phone with representatives in India did not solve the problem. Finally I got them to send me a CD, which seemed to install but hung up on the question "Select a tax return type" that offered zero choices and no pull-down.I can't believe they would release a product that seems designed to frustrate their customers!!!

Worked As Advertised For Me
I have used TurboTax products since 1995, with the exception of trying TaxCut last year, which was a disaster. The TurboTax State product had no difficulty quickly and accurately completing tax returns for my state (Minnesota) after finishing my federal return.

As some other reviewers have correctly noted, the name of the product ("Multi-State") is somewhat deceptive, in that you get to choose one state return to file; if you have to file for more than one state you have to pay for additional state downloads. This is the primary reason I gave the product four stars: functionally it was easy to use and intuitive, and I had no problems of any sort with it (I have Windows XP running on a 2003 vintage computer).

This product isn't perfect, but it does a good job, and is enormously superior to TaxCut in every way.

Filing in multiple states
As other reviewers have said, this is a single-state CD.If you have to file in more than 1 state, don't make the mistake like I did of buying a CD for each state.You have to buy 1 for your primary state and then download additional states from the "Download State" section within the federal CD.Either that or download from the intuit website.Really annoying!I have always had good luck with turbotax but this is disappointing.Now I have to try to return my (opened) 2nd state CD.

Decent
TurboTax State installed without any problems on my Mac, running 10.3.8. The program was free after rebate and I received my rebate promptly from Intuit. The program is decent, although it does not do much. PA taxes aren't that complicated to being with. One complaint is that the program dumped me into a PA Schedule C instead of asking whether I want a PA Schedule C or a PA Schedule C-F. I went to forms and created a schedule C-F, then went back to the interview, and my schedule C-F was there. This procedure would not be obvious to someone who was not already very familiar with this program.

I am not sure why someone would want to pay $14.95 for the State e-filing. There is no rebate for the state filing. So when you file your taxes electronically, make sure you select Federal only, then print out your state tax return and mail it in.
... Read more

Amazon.com Review

For most small business owners, keeping up with the accounting is the worst part of the job. A small investment of effort--installing QuickBooks Pro 2002 or a similar accounting package--will almost always save time and hassle in the long run.

QuickBooks is best for those with fairly simple needs--while it's comparatively inexpensive and easy to install, its breadth of features and technical support don't quite stack up against Peachtree or MYOB. That said, there are still plenty of businesses that can make good use of QuickBooks; consultants and others with little or no inventory, for example.

The 2002 version doesn't bring a brand-new paradigm, but does offer some new and helpful features: improved form customization, better report functions, and customer tracking, to name a few. Easy integration with Microsoft Office, Act!, and other key software packages makes QuickBooks attractive to many users; data transfer is especially straightforward. Invoicing, cutting checks, projecting next year's revenue, and just keeping the books in order is much easier with a computer doing the drudge work.

QuickBooks Pro 2002 is the best bet for budget-minded sole proprietors and microbusiness owners. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (25)

I purchased A Product From Inuit Software and Scanning
I purchased the software at Stapples (Hamilton Ontario) the software with the cashbox and scanning software for barcodes came to $4,000.00 now I did not know that the suport was for 30 days and that after that I would have to pay over $130.00 per moth (yes I did get a credit for $800.00 not in cheque) but for technical support and after those $800.00 are over my staff told me that we have to pay for it (I was amazed) that a product that cost over $4,000.00 does not even have more extended technical support, correct me if I am wrong but when you purchase a computer and some computers are dirt cheap lets say $1,500.00 you would get technical support for a year or sometimes more.I am not impressed at all with there so called "customer service" I am in the process of opening more stores and I will go look at other providers for software and scanning bar code mechanism.

Probably very powerful but needs some simplifying
This may be the best small business accounting software available, but it could still use some streamlining.I started a small corporation on a limited investment.I am not an accountant, so I didn't expect to ace the software on the first day.That said, this version of QuickBooks probably only has about 18 features that I have any use for out of hundreds of available features.The screen is not laid out in a way that is self-explanatory, so finding those features is not automatic.Even those who have used Quicken (Intuit's home finance software) in the past are unlikely to find the interface self-evident.Efficiency is also a concern.QuickBooks opens too many internal "windows" without closing the source window, thus the software eats up memory very quickly.It would be as if every last time you click on a hyperlink while surfing the internet, a new browser window opens automatically.Not good.

How much does QB intimidate?Well, it is April 14th, and I've been putting off doing my taxes because I don't want to have to find and decipher all of QuickBooks' tax related features, side notes, suggestions, and other fringe information.

All of this said, it is fairly powerful software, and I am probably remiss for purchasing one of the more advanced versions of QuickBooks for such a small business.If you have tens of thousands of dollars in extra cash and can afford to automate your accounting processes (such as payroll) through QB's add-on-for-an-additional-investment options, this is probably the software to buy.It is established, it is advanced in its abilities, and it is the industry standard.However, if you're small potatoes, (even if it's hard to admit it), then you might want to consider something a little less involved, like a "dumbed down" version of QuickBooks or maybe MYOB.

Horible Support, Even Worse product
Do not buy this software unless you have deep pockets and don't mind spending lots of money on support. I don't want to sound paranoid but this software has bugs built into it to force you to call support. (did I mention the software come with 0 support) not 60 days not 30 days not even 1 day of support is included with the purchase.
And all the great services that the product tells you about cost additional with monthly fees.

If you like fustration you'll love this
Quickbooks 2002 is a halfway decent accounting program for small business. Unfortunetly Intuits ridiculus company policy of releasing buggy software and then charging you for them to fix it is most fustrating. Then there are the yearly upgrades that you have to pay for. No , you don't HAVE to pay for a new version each year... it's just that your old version stops working if you have to reinstall it. It will then ask to for a special activation key that you can only get if you ring them up and then fill in a 10 page document( and get it signed by a j.p!!!).
When you vent your fustration and anger, the ever so helpful phone support person will suggest that it would just be easier to upgrade to the latest version for a large sum of money. Yeah, thanks...

Quickbooks
While Quickbooks is a great product for writing checks, we have had nothing but trouble with the Do It Yourself Payroll.We have it on two computers and recently downloaded an update and ended up with a virus that knocked out our network for three days!In spite of our antivirus program. The customer support is terrible.Get this product for check writing and invoices but stay away from the payroll products! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Awesome
If you were smart and took advantage of a $160 rebate offered by a major office supply store to get this product for free, you would share my feeling that this is one of the best things I EVER bought. After using it for a year-I would even pay the $160-it's that good! Sure, you need a rudimentary knowledge of accounting to set your business up in Peachtree-but if you're not willing to put the time in to learn that, you shouldn't be running a small business in the first place. Peachtree doesn't serve up all the answers on a plate-you have to put some effort into understanding how your business decisions impact your accounting. Is that so terrible?
The fact of the matter is, this program has taught me more about the accounting process than I ever wanted to know. And in the process, has allowed me to focus on growing my business instead of just entering data. I didn't start a small business to sit there entering information.
Major pros-
1/email function-turn off your fax machine and click twice to email purchase orders.
2/import function-has saved me literally days-set up a .csv file - click -and purchase orders, invoices, payments and receipts are written-as if by magic!
If you're in a highly detailed business-spend some time witn Peachtree and you'll never know how you got along without it!

Accounting background recommended
I don't want to rate the product as such (3 means neutral) but I would advise anyone thinking of using Peachtree to either have an understanding of accounting or an accountant nearby. It is a very good program but it does demand some accounting kowledge or technical skill.

Very complex for Small Business
This software could be good if you are an experienced accountant. However I think it is very complex and hard to work with if you want it to be simple and fun to work with. Good luck in your selection.

Would not buy again
I got this product (Accounting 2004) to run my small business.I would not recommend this product to anyone.

I tried running the included tutorial to learn to navigate around this product, but the tutorial was meaningless to someone who is new to accounting principles - the tutorial is simply a imaginary company with imaginary data.It just shows you in which "bin" each of the imaginary data goes, but doesn't help you to correlate your information to the imaginary data and then into the "bins."

This is particular true for me since the tutorial provides for atypical products based company (i.e. lots of invoices from vendors and some invoices from your company), while my businessis a service business - much like the audience for this Peachtree product.I couldn't fully service business information on top of their product based company tutorial.

The final straw that made me junk this product before fully implementing it is that this product does not (or at least I cannot find) understand setting up multiple checking accounts and/or setting up a trust account.

In my line of work I handle trust money and must account for each client's trust money in a pooled trust account.I don't believe this product gives me that ability and upon a call to Peachtree customer service, they would not answer this basic question without requiring me to pay for a service plan.The help file and online help community was likewise unhelpful.Yes, they offer 30 days of free customer service, but my issue cropped up after the 30 days time period.

In short I am out a bunch of money for a product that I will uninstall.I don't even think I can sell it at a substantial discount legally.I would recommend Quickbooks instead of this thing.

Too Much
This product is too complex for a small or home-based business.Try Peachtree First Accounting for something that won't take up all your time.

Also, beware if you use a high-end version of Windows - they claim "Product will not operate in a Windows Terminal Server Environment using Windows Terminal Services".Well, ignore the "using" part of their statement.It won't work if terminal services simply _exists_ on your machine, whether you're currently using it or not!I guess they are concerned with piracy, but this is over the top, and I doubt even applicable to this product considering its intended audience and use.It's not like everyone in a small business is going to be running this software via terminal services to access a single installed PC.The business owner is just going to run it as needed.In any event, this would not be an issue had one of their developers spent 5 minutes extra and put the _proper_ check in - don't check for the existence of terminal services, but rather check to see if the user is logged into the console, and if so, let it run, else don't. ... Read more

Features

• Reminder System showing tenants who are late paying rent, lease expirations and to do list
• Send mailings to tenants with merge fields, keep record of letters sent
• Complete Work Order System included
• Extensive Reporting features for every important aspect of property management
• Keep track of Late Rent - make a list of tenants that have not yet paid

Reviews (1)

Old, Clumsy Software
Believe it or not, this is a 16-BIT APPLICATION.I kid you not.It is slow and old-looking.There are no OK or Enter buttons, which adds to the clumsiness.There is a 50-unit license.Need to cover 51 units?Too bad - you have to buy a license for 125!Support ain't cheap. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Give your growing business a financial edge with CheckMark MultiLedger, a fully integrated accounting system. MultiLedger combines accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory, bank reconciliation, and more in one program. Including features and capabilities similar to those found in products that cost thousands of dollars, MultiLedger integrates with CheckMark's Payroll and can network up to 10 users, each with their own password and security options.

Users can set up MultiLedger at any time of the year and select a chart of accounts from the samples provided. Easy set-up templates are included, and transactions can be posted to any of 15 open months. Data files can be imported and exported. A drill-down feature gives users instant access to GL, journals, customer reports, and vendor reports.

MultiLedger's users can enter transactions quickly using convenient pop-up lists. Functions like converting a quote to an invoice or transforming a purchase order to a payable require only the click of a button. MultiLedger's files run cross-platform, so you get both Windows and Macintosh versions in the same box. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

SMALLER, EASIER, FASTER
I have used this program for many years through many upgrades and find it to be one of the easiest and intuitive to use and navigate. I admit I may have a little different perspective since I'm an accountant. Some people have problems with programs because they don't have the background in accounting to understand some functions. I have used Multiledger to keep the books of several clients companies and have never had any trouble doing anything that was needed. I have also recommended it and trained others to use it. It has all the features needed with much smaller files and faster performance. An added benefit is that it has both Mac and Window versions and the files are interchangeable, so you can send you file to your accountant with no trouble. ... Read more

Features

• Financial management system for businesses
• Import data from popular office software
• Easily manage accounts payable and receivable
• Create business plans using existing data
• Advanced accounting, inventory and asset tools

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks POS 4.0 Basic Retail Management Software.QuickBooks Point of Sale is the fast and easy way to gain total control over your inventory with real-time tracking and easy-to-use, insightful reports. Get the facts you need to make smarter buying decisions. Fast and easy reports help you track what's selling well and what's not - up to 50, 000 different items! Real-time data keeps you up to date with what's in stock and what needs reordering. Turn your inventory faster by stocking more of the items your customers purchase most to help maximize the profitability of your inventory investment. ... Read more

Features

• Create a NACHA formatted ACH Origination File ready to be processed by your Bank
• Very easy to use - Menu Driven With Screen Prompts - No need to Import or Export data
• Collect payments from an unlimited number of bank accounts at different financial institutions
• Automatic Pre-Note Incorporation
• Compatible with all Banks and Credit Unions that follow the NACHA standards