gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz) (01/03/89)
I just found out about a program called Quicken(R), that is produced by
a company called Intuit, 540 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA.
Has anyone out there seen this product, bought it, used it? Anyone
ever seen a review of it.
In their ad, the claim the following:
1. It does all the accounting for a household or small business
2. Prints itemised lists supporting tax deductions
3. Prints income and expense reports and P&L, budget vs actual, etc.
4. Stores all checks.
5. YOu can order check blanks, load them in your printer, and it will
Automatically print the checks for recurring fixed expenses, and
will cut manual checks as well.
It is only $49.95. If I don't hear anything in a couple of days,
(it is now 1/2/89), I will send for a sample copy and try it myself, and
post the results to the net.
By the way, this software supposedly runs on IBM, Macintosh, and
the Apple II.
Paul Houtz
HP Technology Access Center
10670 N. Tantau Avenue
Cupertino, Ca 95014
(408) 725-3864
hplabs!hpda!hpsemc!gph
gph%hpsemc@hplabs.HP.COMwilso_d@xanth.cs.odu.edu (DeWitte Wilson) (01/04/89)
In article <8090008@hpsemc.HP.COM>, gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz) writes: > > I just found out about a program called Quicken(R), that is produced by > a company called Intuit, 540 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. > > Has anyone out there seen this product, bought it, used it? Anyone > ever seen a review of it. A friend of mine bought it and was showing it to me -- NEAT! It looks a lot like the PFS Professional Series, although I don't recall that PFS was made by Intuit. It seems to work well, and has a good set of documentation. I just looked at one of the files that he was using, and it looked like a journal (strangely, just like the ones that I keep on paper - Date/Description/DEBIT/CREDIT/Balance). ...dewitte
ckaiser@cod.NOSC.MIL (Cliff Kaiser) (01/04/89)
In article <8090008@hpsemc.HP.COM> gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz) writes: > > I just found out about a program called Quicken(R), that is produced by >a company called Intuit, 540 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. > Has anyone out there seen this product, bought it, used it? Anyone >ever seen a review of it. > It is only $49.95. I've seen it advertised for about $30. I have used Quicken for several months now and I think it's great. It does everything they say. The checks are expensive though. $28 for 250 checks and $20 for the windowed envelopes. (Less if you buy larger amounts). But before you buy it, check out CheckFree. I just got the software from a local BBS. I think it's available on SIMTEL. It costs $30 to subscribe to the service and $9/month. Here's an excerpt from their DOC file.... CheckFree provides the ability to pay all bills and handle all routine financial tasks electronically, easily, and quickly -- regardless of the merchant or financial institution. ... In fact, if you have ever used CompuServe, Source, GEnie, or Quantum computer information services, you have already seen how efficiently CheckFree works: each of these companies uses CheckFree for their monthly charges. ... 2. The CheckFree system pays bills automatically through the consumer's bank account. 3. Payments are sent anywhere in the U.S. using the Federal Reserve system of transmittal -- the system used from coast-to-coast by U.S. banks. 4. CheckFree provides the consumer with a completely automated checking account register. Reconciliation with the bank statement can be done in a few easy steps. 5. Regular monthly payments, such as mortgages or automobile loans, can be paid automatically with CheckFree. CheckFree can be reached at 1-800-882-5280 (8-5 EST M-F). Ask for Electronic Banking.
hburford@enprt.Wichita.NCR.COM (Harry Burford) (01/04/89)
In article <8090008@hpsemc.HP.COM> gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz) writes: |> |> I just found out about a program called Quicken(R), that is produced by |>a company called Intuit, 540 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. |> |> Has anyone out there seen this product, bought it, used it? Anyone |>ever seen a review of it. **** some deleted ***** |> It is only $49.95. If I don't hear anything in a couple of days, |> (it is now 1/2/89), I will send for a sample copy and try it myself, and |> post the results to the net. |>Paul Houtz |>HP Technology Access Center I have a copy and it is GREAT! You don't have to know anything about accounting to use it. The display is much like the paper file that one would normally keep in a checkbook so you should already know how to use it. As you enter checks, or I guess I should say transactions, you put a category designation in the memo line. You can even make sub categories. Some of mine go like: @Utilities @Gas or @Utilities @Electric. You can create categories on the fly and then generate reports where everything is sorted on your choice of fields. The book is pretty good and is divided into sections where one is devoted to someone using the program in a home application and the other in a business app. I hadn't ballenced my checkbook for about a year taking the bank statement as being correct. I started with the current month and worked backward a month at a time reconcyling each month and in just a couple of evenings, I had a couple of years computerized. I've created other accounts too such as VISA, ect. A friend of mine even used his Quicken to make a CASH account and he uses it to tell him how much money he has in is pocket. Handy to tell you what categories you spend your pocket change on. Problems: Accounts can not be interlinked. If you make a house payment say out of one account one month and then out of another the next month, your reports will only show the individual account transactions and not your house payment activity. Inconvenient at end of year when you are interested in your payments and not account activity. You can buy an extra cost program that outputs your checkbook information to a spreadsheet. The $49 price in your message is the list price I think. I'm sure you could get it for less if you shop around. hb -- Harry Burford - NCR E & M Wichita, Printer Engineering PHONE: 316-636-8016 Amateur Call: KA0TTY FAX: 316-636-8889 C-Serve: 76367,151 Harry.Burford@Wichita.NCR.COM
johnl@ima.ima.isc.com (John R. Levine) (01/05/89)
In article <1346@cod.NOSC.MIL> ckaiser@cod.nosc.mil.UUCP (Cliff Kaiser) writes: >But before you buy it, check out CheckFree. I just got the software from >a local BBS. ... I took a look at the Checkfree stuff from my local BBS. The idea is decent, you upload a list of checks to send and they send them. On the other hand, their software is very limited. For example, the only identification you can put on a check is a short character string. If you want to pay two bills with one check, tough. (Not an exotic example -- my electric and gas bills are paid together, as are the two bills that the phone company insists on sending for my two phone lines.) Also, it's not clear what sort of recourse you have. What happens if they fail to make a payment? Can you get copies of the cancelled non-checks, or whatever they are? Also, the price seemed rather high, even taking into account the money you don't spend on stamps. CheckFree's main line of business is the opposite of what this package does. For example, Compuserve has a bunch of subscribers that allow CheckFree to write a check to Compuserve for each month's billing. The risk is considerably less there, because Compuserve has explicitly agreed to be paid by CheckFree. So anyway, it's a neat idea but I'd be careful. If anybody has actual experience letting CheckFree pay their bills, I'd be interested in hearing about it. -- John R. Levine, Segue Software, POB 349, Cambridge MA 02238, +1 617 492 3869 { bbn | spdcc | decvax | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something You're never too old to have a happy childhood.
bhoule@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com (Bill Houle) (01/06/89)
Well, we've got Quicken & CheckFree. Now I just saw another one.
Anyone had any experience with MoneyCounts [Parsons Technology] ?
It is a money management/accounting program that retails for $29,
and they claim that it "has a proven track record, has been on the
market over four years, and is continuously receiving rave reviews."
+------------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
Bill Houle | Bill.Houle@sandiego.ncr.com
NCR Corporation | bhoule@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com
Systems Engineering - San Diego | {nosc,ucsd}!ncr-sd!se-sd!bhoule
9900 Old Grove Road, San Diego, CA 92131 | (619) 693-5593
+------------------------------------------+----------------------------------+byten@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Keith Terry) (01/06/89)
I have been using the Checkfree system since October and it works fine.
Since my bank charges for each check I write but does not charge for
electronic funds transfers, for each bill that I pay with Checkfree I save
the .20 check charge as well as the .25 stamp. Since I can use up to 20
transactions without incurring any additional charges, I can break even each
month on their $9.00 Checkfree service charge. The service is highly reliable
and gives you slightly more control over when you pay your bills. The software
is slow and kludgy but it gets the job done and is only the first release. On
a scale of 1 to 10 I'd rate Checkfree a 7.
Keith Terryfurlani@broadway.UUCP (John L. Furlani) (01/07/89)
In article <1727@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com>, bhoule@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com (Bill Houle) writes: > Well, we've got Quicken & CheckFree. Now I just saw another one. > Anyone had any experience with MoneyCounts [Parsons Technology] ? > It is a money management/accounting program that retails for $29, > and they claim that it "has a proven track record, has been on the > market over four years, and is continuously receiving rave reviews." I've used it just a little and, expecially for the price, it is fantastic. A friend recommended it to me, says he uses it heavily and loves it. I'd recommend it to all. ____________ John L. Furlani The University of South Carolina, Columbia SC (...!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!broadway!furlani)
allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) (01/09/89)
As quoted from <8090008@hpsemc.HP.COM> by gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz): +--------------- | I just found out about a program called Quicken(R), that is produced by | a company called Intuit, 540 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. | | Has anyone out there seen this product, bought it, used it? Anyone | ever seen a review of it. +--------------- I've got the Mac version, and use it almost daily. Nice program. +--------------- | 1. It does all the accounting for a household or small business +--------------- Yes. It has pre-defined "categories" (AKA G/L accounts, but the names are NOT standard G/L account numbers) for personal and small-business use, plus a means for defining your own categories. +--------------- | 2. Prints itemised lists supporting tax deductions +--------------- Yes. +--------------- | 3. Prints income and expense reports and P&L, budget vs actual, etc. +--------------- I don't use this, but I think it's supported. +--------------- | 4. Stores all checks. +--------------- Yes. +--------------- | 5. YOu can order check blanks, load them in your printer, and it will | Automatically print the checks for recurring fixed expenses, and | will cut manual checks as well. +--------------- Yes. Sample (voided) blank checks are provided with the program, and (on the Mac version at least) there is an option to print an order blank for checks. I haven't successfully printed checks with it, but the Mac version only supports the Imagewriter whereas my printer is an Oki 390 with a Grappler to emulate the Imagewriter LQ... the resulting mess generally hangs my Mac. It'd be nice if they'd fix that, but I don't see myself printing checks for personal use anyway. I assume the DOS version will work with most common printers. (Mac printer support is a bit strange anyway. Sigh.) Disclaimer: I have no connections with Intuit, except as a satisfied user of Quicken. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, comp.sources.misc moderator and one admin of ncoast PA UN*X uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu ncoast is registering as "ncoast.org" -- watch for the official announcement! Send comp.sources.misc submissions to comp-sources-misc@<backbone>.
allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) (01/10/89)
As quoted from <431@enprt.Wichita.NCR.COM> by hburford@enprt.Wichita.NCR.COM (Harry Burford): +--------------- | I've created other accounts too such as VISA, ect. A friend of mine | even used his Quicken to make a CASH account and he uses it to tell him | how much money he has in is pocket. Handy to tell you what categories | you spend your pocket change on. +--------------- I considered doing this, but it's hard to backfigure e.g. sales tax at a store (i.e. the corner Convenient) which doesn't give register receipts. +--------------- | interested in your payments and not account activity. You can buy an | extra cost program that outputs your checkbook information to a spreadsheet. +--------------- I think I'd complain if I were you. The Mac version comes with the ability to "print" reports to a SYLK (Multiplan) format file. (It also claimed to come with some HyperCard report stacks, but I've yet to find those on the disk or in the package....) ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, comp.sources.misc moderator and one admin of ncoast PA UN*X uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu ncoast is registering as "ncoast.org" -- watch for the official announcement! Send comp.sources.misc submissions to comp-sources-misc@<backbone>.