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Editor's picks

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  Quicken Home & Business 2011 - [Old Version]

  Software (Intuit)
  

  Rating (185 reviews):

  (3.0/5)

  

  Minor Upgrade from Quicken 2010

  I was not a beta tester and was not "encouraged" to write a glowing review by Intuit. This review only speaks to the question of whether this is a worthwhile upgrade from the 2010 version. The 2011 version contains very few new features when compared to the 2010 version. Whether you find these new features worth the upgrade price is debatable. The quicken site is a bit misleading in their "new features" list since many of the items they mention were already in the 2010 version. As with past Quicken upgrades, they largely give you MORE of a existing feature, and not much in the way of new features. So, for example, MORE banks are supported for direct connect. MORE transactions can be automatically categorized since auto-categorization already existed. So in these cases, if your banks are already supported and you don't use auto-categorization, then these enhancements are irrelevant. So for those thinking of upgrading from 2010, here's the list of only NEW features in the 2011... 4/5 Steve Kowal (Louisville, CO) - See all my reviews, October 20, 2010

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  Very Disappointed

  This purchase was a huge disappointment. The software is new and there were only nine reviews, but they were all extremely positive, so I felt confident taking the plunge. I was so excited in fact, that I paid a premium to download rather than wait for UPS. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to the eerie similarity between the reviews, and in fact they were all from beta testers (shills?) perhaps working off the same talking points. The new version was supposed to run faster and work with twice the number of financial institutions. But this is not what I experienced. I was fairly content with Home and Business 2008. The only reason I downloaded 2011 is because I want to access certain accounts that 2008 cannot, such as my 401K with ADP, my kids 529's with New York State, and a savings/loan account with Sallie Mae. Turns out none of these accounts are accessible with 2011! It was a complete waste and it actually runs slower than 2008. Don't be snookered like me,... 1/5 Naomi Lynn - See all my reviews This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2011 [Download] [OLD VERSION] (Software Download) This purchase was a huge disappointment. The software is new and there were only nine reviews, but they were all extremely positive, so I felt confident taking the plunge. I was so excited in fact, that I paid a premium to download rather than wait for UPS. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to the eerie similarity between the reviews, and in fact they were all from beta testers (shills?) perhaps working off the same talking points. The new version was supposed to run faster and work with twice the number of financial institutions. But this is not what I experienced. I was fairly content with Home and Business 2008. The only reason I downloaded 2011 is because I want to access certain accounts that 2008 cannot, such as my 401K with ADP, my kids 529's with New York State, and a savings/loan account with Sallie Mae. Turns out none of these accounts are accessible with 2011! It was a complete waste and it actually runs slower than 2008. Don't be snookered like me,... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 17, 2010

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  Best available or bad joke?

  (running this product on Windows 7 home premium, 64 bit edition)I have been using Quicken 2008 Deluxe for the past 3 years.The process of sunsetting older versions is annoying, but ultimately necessary I believe. This allows the product staff to focus on making new versions better vs. endless patching of legacy products. I think staying current with this type of application is particularly important since it holds so much of your personal financial data. You really do want the latest so that encryption standards and security settings are at their maximum. Especially if you use the one step update with Quicken and the password vault.A note on upgrading from previous versions: Make sure you have the current backup file where you can find it. The disc walks you through uninstalling the old version, converting your old data to the new version standard, and ultimately installing the 2011 version. One way overdue update is consolidating the... 1/5 Chad386 - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2011 - [Old Version] (Software) (running this product on Windows 7 home premium, 64 bit edition)I have been using Quicken 2008 Deluxe for the past 3 years.The process of sunsetting older versions is annoying, but ultimately necessary I believe. This allows the product staff to focus on making new versions better vs. endless patching of legacy products. I think staying current with this type of application is particularly important since it holds so much of your personal financial data. You really do want the latest so that encryption standards and security settings are at their maximum. Especially if you use the one step update with Quicken and the password vault.A note on upgrading from previous versions: Make sure you have the current backup file where you can find it. The disc walks you through uninstalling the old version, converting your old data to the new version standard, and ultimately installing the 2011 version. One way overdue update is consolidating the... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 23, 2010

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  List Price: $99.95
  Price: $38.99
  You Save: $60.96 (61%)

  Shows you where your money is going: automatically categorizes your personal and home business expenses

  Easily organizes your personal and home-based business finances, all in one place

  Quicken Home & Business 2011 pairs the personal finance features of Quicken Premier with tools for the home business

  Helps you choose the right investments to reach your goals, and identifies ways to minimize taxes on your investments

  Lets you view your profit and loss at a glance, so you always know how your home-based business is doing

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• 

  TurboTax Home & Business Federal + e-File + State 2010 - [Old Version]

  Software (Intuit)
  

  Rating (163 reviews):

  (3.9/5)

  

  Turbotax 2010 - getting pretty good

  [I purchased the download version ], but as this is essentially the same product, I am reviewing it here, too]I have been a Turbotax user for quite a while, and have definitely seen a progression in quality and features of the Turbotax product. I remember last year, there were some installation issues for some. Turbotax 2010 downloaded and installed on my Windows 7 64-bit quickly and without issue. After executing the program, it immediately downloaded some updates and I was ready to get to work.As usual, the State software is included free. This year, the integration with the State software seems even better. While the State download wasn't available yet, it gave me options for notification and what the status of availability was.There... 5/5 WPB Consulting (Cary, NC) - See all my reviews This review is from: TurboTax Home & Business Federal + e-File + State 2010 - [Old Version] (Software) [I purchased the download version TurboTax Home & Business Federal + e-File + State 2010 [Download], but as this is essentially the same product, I am reviewing it here, too]I have been a Turbotax user for quite a while, and have definitely seen a progression in quality and features of the Turbotax product. I remember last year, there were some installation issues for some. Turbotax 2010 downloaded and installed on my Windows 7 64-bit quickly and without issue. After executing the program, it immediately downloaded some updates and I was ready to get to work.As usual, the State software is included free. This year, the integration with the State software seems even better. While the State download wasn't available yet, it gave me options for notification and what the status of availability was.There... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 6, 2010

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  TurboTax 2010 Home & Business - Software Issues

  I have used Turbotax for the last 6-7 years and have always liked the product. This year, however, I don't believe Intuit / TurboTax did a very good job of debugging the software. It runs incredibly slow and tends to lock up for a few minutes (yes, minutes) when entering data into a data field. I have found a work-around in that after entering data, clicking on "file" or "view" (or any of the drop down menu's) will force the information in the data field and allow to continue to the next section (irritating and ridiculous but at least it works...). There are also issues with some data fields not appearing and therefore, data cannot be entered (again, the workaround is going directly to the forms view and entering the data direct).Hopefully Intuit will push an update that will fix these problems soon! 2/5 Johndavidc (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: TurboTax Home & Business Federal + e-File + State 2010 - [Old Version] (Software) I have used Turbotax for the last 6-7 years and have always liked the product. This year, however, I don't believe Intuit / TurboTax did a very good job of debugging the software. It runs incredibly slow and tends to lock up for a few minutes (yes, minutes) when entering data into a data field. I have found a work-around in that after entering data, clicking on "file" or "view" (or any of the drop down menu's) will force the information in the data field and allow to continue to the next section (irritating and ridiculous but at least it works...). There are also issues with some data fields not appearing and therefore, data cannot be entered (again, the workaround is going directly to the forms view and entering the data direct).Hopefully Intuit will push an update that will fix these problems soon! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 23, 2011

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  Super easy switch to mac

  I've used TurboTax for about 6 years. It's generally a great time saving product. Every year it gets slightly better but it doesn't change much. When your situation is quite complicated you may need to do some additional research but this is always obvious when TuboTax fails to ask about something you've done. This has come up twice in the six years and I have always found out how to enter the information correctly with little complication. This year I switched from Windows to mac. I couldn't be happier about the easy transition. I moved my 2009 data file from the pc to the mac. I installed TurboTax on the mac. I started TurboTax and it immediately found the 2009 file. Doesn't matter where you put it on the mac. TT finds it and it's 100% compatible. All my info was ready to go for 2010! 4/5 Joann Howes (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews, January 12, 2011

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  List Price: $99.95
  

  TurboTax Home & Business offers step-by-step guidance through your self-employment and personal income taxes.

  5 Free Federal E-Files and included TurboTax State download product

  Designed for sole proprietors, self-employed, consultants, 1099 contractors, and single-owner LLCs.

  Double-checks for accuracy & identifies missing deductions and credits.

  Creates W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for your employees and contractors.

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• 

  Quicken 2012 The Official Guide (Quicken Press)

  Book (McGraw-Hill Osborne Media)
  

  Rating (15 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  A Helpful Book

  Each year Quicken updates its' personal finance software. The same is true for the official guide. I buy the guide each year, because it's a very handy reference for dealing with questions I experience when using my Quicken software. There's just enough changes and new additions in Quicken to make a purchase of a new guide each year worthwhile. I recommend keeping a copy of the current guide on your bookshelf. And, you should buy the guide at Amazon, because they greatly discount the price. 4/5 Samuel H. Halter (Tampa FL USA) - See all my reviews, November 27, 2011

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  Excellent Content

  I took a shot on this book and am really glad I did. Last year I had purchased a book by a different author on Quicken 2011 and found it to be dry and unapproachable. The author of this book has made my experience with software books a thousand times better.This book is easy to follow and does a good job of dealing with dry material in a very pleasant manner. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone. 5/5 stevemaximus - See all my reviews This review is from: Quicken 2012 The Official Guide (Quicken Press) (Paperback) I took a shot on this book and am really glad I did. Last year I had purchased a book by a different author on Quicken 2011 and found it to be dry and unapproachable. The author of this book has made my experience with software books a thousand times better.This book is easy to follow and does a good job of dealing with dry material in a very pleasant manner. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 22, 2011

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  Quicken: Magic Mirror

  Quicken is easy if you have the magic mirror to walk through into this world. This "2012 The Official Guide" is the magic mirror that leads into comprehension of this software world. I'm not a trained math person, and the idea of setting up any sort of business/accounting system that would work is akin to believing I can fly if I just flap my arms fast enough. This author uses logic and clear language (leaving the math and software nerd elsewhere) so that the process of using Quicken is accessible by even me (not sure about cave women). In the past, I've hacked my way through Software programs because the books were not hackable; in this case, the book is faster! 5/5 Marian Blue "blue chihuahua" (northwest US) - See all my reviews This review is from: Quicken 2012 The Official Guide (Quicken Press) (Paperback) Quicken is easy if you have the magic mirror to walk through into this world. This "2012 The Official Guide" is the magic mirror that leads into comprehension of this software world. I'm not a trained math person, and the idea of setting up any sort of business/accounting system that would work is akin to believing I can fly if I just flap my arms fast enough. This author uses logic and clear language (leaving the math and software nerd elsewhere) so that the process of using Quicken is accessible by even me (not sure about cave women). In the past, I've hacked my way through Software programs because the books were not hackable; in this case, the book is faster! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 22, 2011

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  List Price: $25.00
  

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• 

  Quicken Home & Business 2012 [Download]

  Digital Software (Intuit)
  

  Rating (129 reviews):

  (2.7/5)

  

  * UPDATED 4-10-12 * Quicken 2012 Home and Business Continues Its Dismal Dive

  Some background about me :I have been a Quicken user for over 15 years. I am a computer tech and fix hardware and software issues for a living. I own the business. Therefore I know about computers and I know about running a good business.My Impressions about Quicken :I have just upgraded (or rather purchased a full version as Intuit doesn't ever offer "Upgrade" pricing...they make you pay the full price. Thank God for Amazon!) from Quicken Home and Business 2011. I normally would have waited for the mandatory 3-year "forced" upgrade Intuit always imposes like clockwork, but my 2011 version has stopped working in that the "One-Step-Update" function has stopped downloading transactions from my bank for my checking accounts. This has been the case for about 6 months. I've tried multiple times to get the issue resolved through my own skills, through my bank and through Intuit tech support. The upgrade to 2012 failed to resolve the issue. Manual exports... 1/5 Flux Computer Repair (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2012 (Software) Some background about me :I have been a Quicken user for over 15 years. I am a computer tech and fix hardware and software issues for a living. I own the business. Therefore I know about computers and I know about running a good business.My Impressions about Quicken :I have just upgraded (or rather purchased a full version as Intuit doesn't ever offer "Upgrade" pricing...they make you pay the full price. Thank God for Amazon!) from Quicken Home and Business 2011. I normally would have waited for the mandatory 3-year "forced" upgrade Intuit always imposes like clockwork, but my 2011 version has stopped working in that the "One-Step-Update" function has stopped downloading transactions from my bank for my checking accounts. This has been the case for about 6 months. I've tried multiple times to get the issue resolved through my own skills, through my bank and through Intuit tech support. The upgrade to 2012 failed to resolve the issue. Manual exports... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 17, 2011

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  Extremely bug-ridden

  Quicken user for 20 years. Don't buy this update -- almost everything I tried to do, I found a bug in the software (downloading & accepting transactions, entering investment transactions)...Felt like it must still be the alpha version. After much frustration, I am giving up and going back to Quicken 2010. And, by the way, back up your files in a separate place before you try 2012, otherwise you wont be able to revert back if you don't like it.More generally, I am pretty fed up with Intuit's updates, which seem to repeatedly introduce needless UI changes and new bugs. 1/5 Kauilani DeMarzo "Kaui" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews, November 5, 2011

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  Warning -- Don't buy this product

  I've never written an Amazon review before, but I feel I have a moral obligation to warn people away from this product.I've been using Quicken since 1993, and have been very happy with it. The automatic download of transactions from my Bank (Bank of America), has never really worked, but I've always been able to manually download .qfx or .qif files and import them into Quicken.This does not work with Quicken 2012, which I recently upgraded to (what a mistake!)I contacted Quicken support and told them that every time I tried to download transactions, I get a "Quicken Server Error".After a few days, they told me they had fixed their "script" on their server. It still didn't work. Their support people asked me to send the logs (again). I sent them. They said the logs were corrupted. I sent them again. They said I sent the wrong log files. I sent them again. Finally, I contacted Quicken Support using their "online chat". I was able... 1/5 Greg Thatcher - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2012 [Download] (Software Download) I've never written an Amazon review before, but I feel I have a moral obligation to warn people away from this product.I've been using Quicken since 1993, and have been very happy with it. The automatic download of transactions from my Bank (Bank of America), has never really worked, but I've always been able to manually download .qfx or .qif files and import them into Quicken.This does not work with Quicken 2012, which I recently upgraded to (what a mistake!)I contacted Quicken support and told them that every time I tried to download transactions, I get a "Quicken Server Error".After a few days, they told me they had fixed their "script" on their server. It still didn't work. Their support people asked me to send the logs (again). I sent them. They said the logs were corrupted. I sent them again. They said I sent the wrong log files. I sent them again. Finally, I contacted Quicken Support using their "online chat". I was able... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 2, 2011

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  List Price: $99.95
  Price: $61.88
  You Save: $38.07 (38%)

  New Large Font mode for easy viewing; free customer service when you need it

  Combines personal finance features of Quicken Premier with tools for the home business

  Creates Schedule C reports to save you time on taxes

  Redesigned budgeting tool; create a customized plan to reduce, or eliminate, debt

  Creates customized invoices and estimates

  Shows your profit and loss at a glance

  Track your equity with the improved property and debt dashboard

  Organizes your personal and home based business finances in one place

  Automatically categorizes personal and home-business expenses; view profit and loss at a glance

  Identifies tax-deductible home business expenses

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• 

  NeatReceipts Scanalizer Professional 2.5 Mobile Scanner and Software

  CE (The Neat Company)
  

  Rating (206 reviews):

  (3.5/5)

  

  Here are some additional tips for Neatreceipts owners

  My only concern is that the included scanner could be quicker. Other than that, the product is quite good. I don't particularly care for its contact management features, but others might.A little bit of background about me: I am a software developer for contact management add-ons for Outlook. As Neatreceipts uses MSDE for its backend database, I can actually tap into that database directly and integrate it better with my application.I primarily use it to scan business cards. I get a lot of business cards and it is critical to get them into my Outlook as quickly as possible. Neatreceipts actually is remarkably accurate at recognizing the text on most business cards.Neatreceipts also has features to automatically recognize text on colored background and how to combat the very light ink syndrome. In short, the fancier the card, the more painful it is to scan in. :-)Prior to choosing this product, I considered other products as well. I... 5/5 Leonid Knyshov "World-class computer expert" (Fremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews, May 21, 2006

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  Terrific timesaver

  As a "road warrior", managing my travel expenses has always been a time-consuming chore. And the occasional lost receipt as well as non-billable expenses incurred while traveling (which are nevertheless tax-deductible)have probably cost me hundreds of dollars each year.I wondered whether this device would really be more effective than a regular photocopier/scanner and the answer has been a resounding YES. The software is very intuitive and it is now a snap to process all my receipts and develop my monthly expense reports. The software is very well designed and allows you to split receipts, drag and drop from one expense report to another and indicate whether an expense is personal or billable (which means I am now capturing ALL my travel expenses.)My only criticism is that there isn't a way to just manually enter expenses for tips. I work around that by creating a hand-written receipt for tips for each trip. Hopefully they'll address this in a future software... 5/5 dolcevita (PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: NeatReceipts Scanalizer Professional 2.5 Mobile Scanner and Software (Office Product) As a "road warrior", managing my travel expenses has always been a time-consuming chore. And the occasional lost receipt as well as non-billable expenses incurred while traveling (which are nevertheless tax-deductible)have probably cost me hundreds of dollars each year.I wondered whether this device would really be more effective than a regular photocopier/scanner and the answer has been a resounding YES. The software is very intuitive and it is now a snap to process all my receipts and develop my monthly expense reports. The software is very well designed and allows you to split receipts, drag and drop from one expense report to another and indicate whether an expense is personal or billable (which means I am now capturing ALL my travel expenses.)My only criticism is that there isn't a way to just manually enter expenses for tips. I work around that by creating a hand-written receipt for tips for each trip. Hopefully they'll address this in a future software... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 7, 2005

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  Serves a niche purpose, but don't expect the world

  OK, I read all the reviews on this product and still purchased one. Here is my scoop:This product fills a great little niche for those of us with home businesses that need some help keeping track of our expenses and contacts. But don't expect the world from this product. First, it hasn't been out that long, so yes, there is definate room for improvement. The scans sometimes don't work, and yes, the software does hangup sometimes. But considering what this product does for me, I can live with that. Also, the real beauty of this is the software it comes with that has some great reporting functions. You will be able to hand your tax preparer all your expenses in a tidy report.The reports alone will save me a ton of time. And I love the business card scanning. I'm one of those who just came back from a week long conference with a ton of cards I normally would have just pitched after awhile, even though it will definately be an asset to my business to be... 4/5 D. Alpert (Mira Loma, Ca USA) - See all my reviews, December 26, 2006

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  List Price: $209.95
  

  Scans permanent digital copies of all your financial papers

  Works with QuickBooks, Quicken, MS Money, Excel, PDF, Act!, and Peachtree

  Includes NeatReceipts software and a lightweight, color, portable scanner, USB interface

  Easiest way to manage expenses, prepare for taxes, create expense reports and scan business cards--accepted by the IRS

  You can keep track of all types of documents and pull them up as needed with the new Document Organizer feature

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  QuickBooks Pro 2012

  Software (Intuit, Inc.)
  

  Rating (283 reviews):

  (3.3/5)

  

  More of the Same from QuickBooks

  Despite all of the hoopla surrounding each new version, this version offers nothing new to 99.9% of users. As a CPA I have helped clients with QuickBooks for over 15 years and during that time I have seen a steady erosion in the usefulness of the program. It is large and cumbersome and much slower than older versions. My experience with the maker, Intuit is that they are not really a software company as much as they are a marketing company, using what once was a great product to squeeze more revenue out of their customers. It's still is a decent product, but don't upgrade unless you absolutely have to. If you are a new user, examine other products before you commit yourself to this once great and now mediocre product. 2/5 Joshua Lee - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: QuickBooks Pro 2012 (Software) Despite all of the hoopla surrounding each new version, this version offers nothing new to 99.9% of users. As a CPA I have helped clients with QuickBooks for over 15 years and during that time I have seen a steady erosion in the usefulness of the program. It is large and cumbersome and much slower than older versions. My experience with the maker, Intuit is that they are not really a software company as much as they are a marketing company, using what once was a great product to squeeze more revenue out of their customers. It's still is a decent product, but don't upgrade unless you absolutely have to. If you are a new user, examine other products before you commit yourself to this once great and now mediocre product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 18, 2011

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  The quickbooks extortion

  Very long time QB user here. Nothing is new here. Just another bloated version of Quickbooks that will expire after a few years and force you to upgrade in order to continue to use the services that you are already using. Once they have you, there is no getting out because your entire business is on there. I still have the 2004 version on an old computer and it's amazing how much more bloated this one is in comparison.This is far from a "pro" software suite. It is a very basic program and anything else you want to do requires subscriptions - you want payroll?? HAHAHA silly you for thinking an accounting program should include that- no you gotta subscribe at $150 a year for "do it yourself". You want attach documents to invoices on your own computer?? HAHAHAHA no...that's a subscription. Do you want to save invoices as a PDF to email your customer? YOHOHO yeah you can do that... but Quickbooks is sneaky and they will tell YOUR customer to go to a website to pay... 1/5 QuickBooks Customer Care, November 7, 2011

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  Customer service

  I have been experiencing a re-occurring problem with Quickbooks 2010 for the last six months. It is hard to understand the technicians at the other end of the phone, the response time has been reasonable, but it takes so long for them to fix the thing. My biggest concern is that the first thing the technician does is try to sell you a service contract. Four times I had to tell him I am a simplistic user, have been using it for 20 years and not needed a service contract yet. Still they kept trying to get me to buy the contract. Then they try and sell me the 2012 version which they say has fixed this problem. They want to sell this to me at a discount--which is $50 higher than the Amazon price. I suggest to them the reason for the problem is that there is an issue with the software (since they eliminated the problem in 2012) and I am told it is my machine. This is a money grubbing company that doesn't care about its customers. After reading the comments here I will not upgrade since it... 2/5 Sir Coogs A Lot - See all my reviews This review is from: QuickBooks Pro 2012 (Software) Very long time QB user here. Nothing is new here. Just another bloated version of Quickbooks that will expire after a few years and force you to upgrade in order to continue to use the services that you are already using. Once they have you, there is no getting out because your entire business is on there. I still have the 2004 version on an old computer and it's amazing how much more bloated this one is in comparison.This is far from a "pro" software suite. It is a very basic program and anything else you want to do requires subscriptions - you want payroll?? HAHAHA silly you for thinking an accounting program should include that- no you gotta subscribe at $150 a year for "do it yourself". You want attach documents to invoices on your own computer?? HAHAHAHA no...that's a subscription. Do you want to save invoices as a PDF to email your customer? YOHOHO yeah you can do that... but Quickbooks is sneaky and they will tell YOUR customer to go to a website to pay... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 8, 2011

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  List Price: $229.99
  Price: $131.00
  You Save: $98.99 (43%)

  Easily create invoices and track sales and expenses

  Organize your business finances all in one place

  Get a real time snapshot of your business with Company Snapshot

  Quickly import your data from a spreadsheet

  Set up in minutes, easy to learn and use

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  Quicken Home & Business 2012

  Software (Intuit, Inc.)
  

  Rating (129 reviews):

  (2.7/5)

  

  * UPDATED 4-10-12 * Quicken 2012 Home and Business Continues Its Dismal Dive

  Some background about me :I have been a Quicken user for over 15 years. I am a computer tech and fix hardware and software issues for a living. I own the business. Therefore I know about computers and I know about running a good business.My Impressions about Quicken :I have just upgraded (or rather purchased a full version as Intuit doesn't ever offer "Upgrade" pricing...they make you pay the full price. Thank God for Amazon!) from Quicken Home and Business 2011. I normally would have waited for the mandatory 3-year "forced" upgrade Intuit always imposes like clockwork, but my 2011 version has stopped working in that the "One-Step-Update" function has stopped downloading transactions from my bank for my checking accounts. This has been the case for about 6 months. I've tried multiple times to get the issue resolved through my own skills, through my bank and through Intuit tech support. The upgrade to 2012 failed to resolve the issue. Manual exports... 1/5 Flux Computer Repair (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2012 (Software) Some background about me :I have been a Quicken user for over 15 years. I am a computer tech and fix hardware and software issues for a living. I own the business. Therefore I know about computers and I know about running a good business.My Impressions about Quicken :I have just upgraded (or rather purchased a full version as Intuit doesn't ever offer "Upgrade" pricing...they make you pay the full price. Thank God for Amazon!) from Quicken Home and Business 2011. I normally would have waited for the mandatory 3-year "forced" upgrade Intuit always imposes like clockwork, but my 2011 version has stopped working in that the "One-Step-Update" function has stopped downloading transactions from my bank for my checking accounts. This has been the case for about 6 months. I've tried multiple times to get the issue resolved through my own skills, through my bank and through Intuit tech support. The upgrade to 2012 failed to resolve the issue. Manual exports... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 17, 2011

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  Extremely bug-ridden

  Quicken user for 20 years. Don't buy this update -- almost everything I tried to do, I found a bug in the software (downloading & accepting transactions, entering investment transactions)...Felt like it must still be the alpha version. After much frustration, I am giving up and going back to Quicken 2010. And, by the way, back up your files in a separate place before you try 2012, otherwise you wont be able to revert back if you don't like it.More generally, I am pretty fed up with Intuit's updates, which seem to repeatedly introduce needless UI changes and new bugs. 1/5 Kauilani DeMarzo "Kaui" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews, November 5, 2011

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  Warning -- Don't buy this product

  I've never written an Amazon review before, but I feel I have a moral obligation to warn people away from this product.I've been using Quicken since 1993, and have been very happy with it. The automatic download of transactions from my Bank (Bank of America), has never really worked, but I've always been able to manually download .qfx or .qif files and import them into Quicken.This does not work with Quicken 2012, which I recently upgraded to (what a mistake!)I contacted Quicken support and told them that every time I tried to download transactions, I get a "Quicken Server Error".After a few days, they told me they had fixed their "script" on their server. It still didn't work. Their support people asked me to send the logs (again). I sent them. They said the logs were corrupted. I sent them again. They said I sent the wrong log files. I sent them again. Finally, I contacted Quicken Support using their "online chat". I was able... 1/5 Greg Thatcher - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2012 [Download] (Software Download) I've never written an Amazon review before, but I feel I have a moral obligation to warn people away from this product.I've been using Quicken since 1993, and have been very happy with it. The automatic download of transactions from my Bank (Bank of America), has never really worked, but I've always been able to manually download .qfx or .qif files and import them into Quicken.This does not work with Quicken 2012, which I recently upgraded to (what a mistake!)I contacted Quicken support and told them that every time I tried to download transactions, I get a "Quicken Server Error".After a few days, they told me they had fixed their "script" on their server. It still didn't work. Their support people asked me to send the logs (again). I sent them. They said the logs were corrupted. I sent them again. They said I sent the wrong log files. I sent them again. Finally, I contacted Quicken Support using their "online chat". I was able... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 2, 2011

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  List Price: $99.99
  

  Creates customized invoices and estimates

  Shows your profit and loss at a glance

  Identifies tax-deductible home business expenses

  Creates Schedule C reports to save you time on taxes

  Organizes your personal and home based business finances in one place

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  Quicken 2012 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

  Book (For Dummies)
  

  Rating (13 reviews):

  (3.2/5)

  

  Save your Money

  I purchased both "Quicken 2010 The Official Guide" by Maria Langer and "Quicken 2010 for Dummies" by Stephen Nelson. I expected 2010 for Dummies to expand on the information that was in The Official Guide and perhaps even provide some practical applications. What I got was a very disorganized "Dummies" book with virtually no valuable information. It appears the author knows only the very basics of Quicken 2010 and therefore can't answer much more than basic questions. Save your money and look to the Quicken 2010 The Official Guide as your choice. Considering I wasn't a fan of "The Offical Guide" in the past years, this statement holds value. With the newly written version of The Official Guide that actually provides some practical hints and tips, you'll be glad you only need one book on your computer shelf. "Quicken 2010 for Dummies" is not worth your time or money. 1/5 Outdoor "Sportsman J" (Rice Lake, WI USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken 2010 For Dummies (Paperback) I purchased both "Quicken 2010 The Official Guide" by Maria Langer and "Quicken 2010 for Dummies" by Stephen Nelson. I expected 2010 for Dummies to expand on the information that was in The Official Guide and perhaps even provide some practical applications. What I got was a very disorganized "Dummies" book with virtually no valuable information. It appears the author knows only the very basics of Quicken 2010 and therefore can't answer much more than basic questions. Save your money and look to the Quicken 2010 The Official Guide as your choice. Considering I wasn't a fan of "The Offical Guide" in the past years, this statement holds value. With the newly written version of The Official Guide that actually provides some practical hints and tips, you'll be glad you only need one book on your computer shelf. "Quicken 2010 for Dummies" is not worth your time or money. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 22, 2010

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  For beginners, QX for Dummies is okay

  If Quicken 2010 is one's first use of Quicken software, the Quicken 2010 for Dummies book will fill the bill (no pun intended).As a long-time user of Quicken software, 2010 for Dummies didn't tell me anything I didn't already know -- other than to introduce a new feature, "tags," which I probably won't utilize anyway.The only reason I purchased this book was because Quicken's tech support in India wasn't able to help me with the Quicken Home Inventory feature which was available on all of my previous versions. I literally spent over an hour speaking with the rep and his supervisor, who assured me I had the QHI on 2010, but couldn't tell me why I couldn't restore my backups onto the new software. So I bought the book thinking the answer could be found there. Turns out Quicken dropped this feature on its 2010 version. Had I known this I wouldn't have bothered with getting QX10 or the book. Maybe Quicken should send copies of this Dummies book to its tech... 4/5 c'est moi (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken 2010 For Dummies (Paperback) If Quicken 2010 is one's first use of Quicken software, the Quicken 2010 for Dummies book will fill the bill (no pun intended).As a long-time user of Quicken software, 2010 for Dummies didn't tell me anything I didn't already know -- other than to introduce a new feature, "tags," which I probably won't utilize anyway.The only reason I purchased this book was because Quicken's tech support in India wasn't able to help me with the Quicken Home Inventory feature which was available on all of my previous versions. I literally spent over an hour speaking with the rep and his supervisor, who assured me I had the QHI on 2010, but couldn't tell me why I couldn't restore my backups onto the new software. So I bought the book thinking the answer could be found there. Turns out Quicken dropped this feature on its 2010 version. Had I known this I wouldn't have bothered with getting QX10 or the book. Maybe Quicken should send copies of this Dummies book to its tech... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 8, 2010

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  Does not address my needs

  I upgraded from MSFT Money. The "translation" involved 19 pages of errors. I am ready to pull my hair out. This book does not even mention moving from Money to Quicken! The "Quicken 2010, The Official Guide," does talk a bit about the translation. Bottomline: Quicken does not handle CASH in an investment account, which is where I got messed up. I finally UNINSTALLED Quicken and revived my old Money to finish off the year. Neither book could "fix" any of the mess which came through the change. I might try to start from scratch for year 2011 using Quicken. There is NO EASY way to move from Money to Quicken unless all you have is a checking account...in which case you don't need Quicken anyway...all you need is paper, pen, and a calculator. 1/5 G.B.D. (New England) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Quicken 2010 For Dummies (Paperback) I upgraded from MSFT Money. The "translation" involved 19 pages of errors. I am ready to pull my hair out. This book does not even mention moving from Money to Quicken! The "Quicken 2010, The Official Guide," does talk a bit about the translation. Bottomline: Quicken does not handle CASH in an investment account, which is where I got messed up. I finally UNINSTALLED Quicken and revived my old Money to finish off the year. Neither book could "fix" any of the mess which came through the change. I might try to start from scratch for year 2011 using Quicken. There is NO EASY way to move from Money to Quicken unless all you have is a checking account...in which case you don't need Quicken anyway...all you need is paper, pen, and a calculator. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , August 12, 2010

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  List Price: $24.99
  

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  Quicken Deluxe 2012 [Download]

  Digital Software (Intuit)
  

  Rating (338 reviews):

  (2.5/5)

  

  So So, probably don't need to upgrade

  So Amazon started selling the digital download on Oct 1, the physical item starts shipping Oct 4 and the product still isn't called out on the manufacture's website. Select a product from their product list and it still takes you to the 2011 version. Can't be that big of an improvement if the company isn't even promoting it on their website. Makes you wonder.Here is how my first hour went. After purchase I had the software downloaded and installed with-in 20-30 minutes. Prompted by the first step of the welcome screen I began setting up my accounts. At first I wasn't sure what was happening because it would saying it's connecting and getting data. Then the screen would disappear and start all over. I Finally figure out that it has to access each checking, savings, or credit card account individually even though it's all under the same user account. So what appeared as being stuck in a loop / bug was really just poor programming design.The process picked up my... 3/5 Jeremy Johnson (Washington State) - See all my reviews, October 4, 2011

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  Same crap as the last two versions...

  Quicken 2012 is a buggy disappointment.Each year Intuit changes the look a little bit, adds one trivial feature, breaks a few things, then ships it like it's a "new product". And each year like a sheep I buy it, thinking "this time it'll be worth it". About half the time, I ask for my money back.I am trying 2012 after using 2010 for the last two years. Honestly, I would try something else... but sadly there *is* nothing else.The look is a little nicer than 2010, and everything else is very much the same... except for these bugs, which I saw in the first 15 minutes of use:Bugs:1) When you are entering a transaction as a transfer, it shows *all* your accounts... even closed accounts or accounts that you have marked as "hide". This is clearly a huge bug and a huge hassle. Nice quality control.2) When you look at a budget item in a montly view, then click on a budget item... it shows an unsorted list of items from many... 2/5 Robert W. Nilsen III (Frisco, TX USA) - See all my reviews, October 14, 2011

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  Total Disaster. Avoid.

  I'm a compulsive upgrader so I pulled the trigger on this. Wish I hadn't. I spent a lot of time setting up monthly budgets (i.e. where I could easily track household monthly spending). When you click on the prgress bar in the "new" budgets, it gives you not the amount you have spent that month, but the last 3 months instead. Totally useless.Also - not all of my stocks automatically update anymore - i have to click on the security and hit "upate." Not helpfulFinally, a weird bug - each day it gives me a weird message saying "Looks like your system clock has changed (yeah - the previous day ended and the new one began)"Would you like to restart Quicken?"This used to be the best finance software - no longer. Maybe they are spending all of their time and money on the online version? In any event, stay with the version you have, save the money. 1/5 B. McPherson (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews, October 11, 2011

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  List Price: $59.95
  Price: $36.33
  You Save: $23.62 (39%)

  Safely and securely imports financial info automatically

  Create a budget and track progress; creates customized get-out-of-debt plan

  Organizes your bank, credit card, investment accounts in one place

  Alerts you to upcoming bills

  Categorizes expenses so you can see where you're spending

  Imports data from previous versions of Quicken; step-by-step help for quick set-up

  Automatically categorizes expenses so you can see where you're spending

  Helps you create a budget and tracks your progress against it

  Personal-finance software organizes all your accounts--all in one place

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  QuickBooks Pro 2012 [Download]

  Digital Software (Intuit)
  

  Rating (283 reviews):

  (3.3/5)

  

  More of the Same from QuickBooks

  Despite all of the hoopla surrounding each new version, this version offers nothing new to 99.9% of users. As a CPA I have helped clients with QuickBooks for over 15 years and during that time I have seen a steady erosion in the usefulness of the program. It is large and cumbersome and much slower than older versions. My experience with the maker, Intuit is that they are not really a software company as much as they are a marketing company, using what once was a great product to squeeze more revenue out of their customers. It's still is a decent product, but don't upgrade unless you absolutely have to. If you are a new user, examine other products before you commit yourself to this once great and now mediocre product. 2/5 Joshua Lee - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: QuickBooks Pro 2012 (Software) Despite all of the hoopla surrounding each new version, this version offers nothing new to 99.9% of users. As a CPA I have helped clients with QuickBooks for over 15 years and during that time I have seen a steady erosion in the usefulness of the program. It is large and cumbersome and much slower than older versions. My experience with the maker, Intuit is that they are not really a software company as much as they are a marketing company, using what once was a great product to squeeze more revenue out of their customers. It's still is a decent product, but don't upgrade unless you absolutely have to. If you are a new user, examine other products before you commit yourself to this once great and now mediocre product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 18, 2011

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  The quickbooks extortion

  Very long time QB user here. Nothing is new here. Just another bloated version of Quickbooks that will expire after a few years and force you to upgrade in order to continue to use the services that you are already using. Once they have you, there is no getting out because your entire business is on there. I still have the 2004 version on an old computer and it's amazing how much more bloated this one is in comparison.This is far from a "pro" software suite. It is a very basic program and anything else you want to do requires subscriptions - you want payroll?? HAHAHA silly you for thinking an accounting program should include that- no you gotta subscribe at $150 a year for "do it yourself". You want attach documents to invoices on your own computer?? HAHAHAHA no...that's a subscription. Do you want to save invoices as a PDF to email your customer? YOHOHO yeah you can do that... but Quickbooks is sneaky and they will tell YOUR customer to go to a website to pay... 1/5 QuickBooks Customer Care, November 7, 2011

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  Customer service

  I have been experiencing a re-occurring problem with Quickbooks 2010 for the last six months. It is hard to understand the technicians at the other end of the phone, the response time has been reasonable, but it takes so long for them to fix the thing. My biggest concern is that the first thing the technician does is try to sell you a service contract. Four times I had to tell him I am a simplistic user, have been using it for 20 years and not needed a service contract yet. Still they kept trying to get me to buy the contract. Then they try and sell me the 2012 version which they say has fixed this problem. They want to sell this to me at a discount--which is $50 higher than the Amazon price. I suggest to them the reason for the problem is that there is an issue with the software (since they eliminated the problem in 2012) and I am told it is my machine. This is a money grubbing company that doesn't care about its customers. After reading the comments here I will not upgrade since it... 2/5 Sir Coogs A Lot - See all my reviews This review is from: QuickBooks Pro 2012 (Software) Very long time QB user here. Nothing is new here. Just another bloated version of Quickbooks that will expire after a few years and force you to upgrade in order to continue to use the services that you are already using. Once they have you, there is no getting out because your entire business is on there. I still have the 2004 version on an old computer and it's amazing how much more bloated this one is in comparison.This is far from a "pro" software suite. It is a very basic program and anything else you want to do requires subscriptions - you want payroll?? HAHAHA silly you for thinking an accounting program should include that- no you gotta subscribe at $150 a year for "do it yourself". You want attach documents to invoices on your own computer?? HAHAHAHA no...that's a subscription. Do you want to save invoices as a PDF to email your customer? YOHOHO yeah you can do that... but Quickbooks is sneaky and they will tell YOUR customer to go to a website to pay... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 8, 2011

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  List Price: $229.95
  Price: $133.19
  You Save: $96.76 (42%)

  Easily create invoices and track sales and expenses

  Organize your business finances all in one place

  Quickly import your data from a spreadsheet

  Set up in minutes, easy to learn and use

  Get a real time snapshot of your business with Company Snapshot

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