Quicken sucks
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I've been using Quicken for six years now, 1999 and 2002
versions. This weekend, I got a big banner page pop up when I
started it that explained in great detail how why they're going to
screw me.
They've decided to encourage upgrades by disabling older versions of
their software. As of 4/19/05, online updates will be disabled
for Q2002. They were nice enough to send me a special coupon to
upgrade to Q2005 for $40.
Beyond the sheer arrogance of this nice trick, one reason they need to
force upgrades is because in an unbroken series of incompetence, since
2000 every version is worse than the previous one. Q2005 has
several dozen reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 1.2 (scale
1-5). And one other thing... for 2005, they decided it was best
for them to remove QIF file import, even though half the financial
institutions in the world support data downloads no other way.
Once you've used Quicken for a year or more, it's very difficult to
stop. Maybe I could switch to Money [+o(], but it doesn't sound
much better. Frankly, I wouldn't mind paying a fee for the onkine
services. But being forced to "upgrade" is a travesty.
Has anyone got a decent alternative? Is there a software company
that understands this market? That we don't want new "features",
a different UI, and more bloat every year. This application is
serious business, and both Microsoft and Intuit treat it like it's The
Sims.
WTF are they thinking? I thought even MBAs knew that you don't
stay in business very long by screwing your customers. (Unless
you're in that business, of course[:#][:D])
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<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #efefef">Are you talking about Quicken that you can find at http://www.intuit.com or some other tool? Personally, I think you get what you've paid for...</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #efefef">It seems a very cheap tool in my opinion and if it sucks, then it's because it's price sucks too. Quality is in general more expensive than this. Do you think it's easy to create such products in a time when more and more people stop investing in new software? Too many people just stop upgrading their product and as a result those products don't produce enough cash to pay for the next upgrade.</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #efefef">I can understand why they stop maintaining those older versions. It just costs them more than they gain from it. Probably because the older versions are already very complete products that don't need any new features...</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #efefef">That's just it, isn't it? Many current software products are already very complete so the only way to innovate them is by just making the appearance more attractive. Different GUI's, skins, more colors and images, and lots of stuff that you won't need. And simply because the product is finished. Who needs those extra features anyway?</FONT>
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You might like http://www.gnucash.org/
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Isn't there a Windows flavor of that gnucash tool? [;)]
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Quicken from Intuit is correct. $60-$80 isn't all that cheap for mass-market software.
I don't care if they maintain the older versions... I can understand
dropping support for a version, or charging for support after a period
of time. And again, I can understand charging for the online
services. My complaint is with their deliberate disabling of an
older version.
And yes, featuritus is an old, yet continuing problem. Development staffs seem to want to keep busy doing something... [:S]
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GNUCash sounds very nice. Unfortunately, it presently cannot
download data from financial institutions in the USA, which is crucial
to me. [:(]
I don't think the GNU organization is any more interested in supporting Windoze development than Microsoft is for Linux. [:^)]
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Well, you could wonder if Quicken is still a mass-market product since
more and more similar products are appearing on the market. I think
there's quite a lot of competition here. Besides, I assume many
companies do like my father does and just hire a bookkeeper to handle
the financial stuff. This bookkeeper would just have to worry about the
software but they often use some more expensive and better-written
products, I think. (I hope.)
About GNUCash, I think products like these would become even more
popular if they could be compiled on many different platforms. And it
should not be too difficult either if you divide business logic from
any GUI logic from the moment you start the project. It just means that
you, as a developer, need to be able to test on all those platforms.
Then again, I never did any Linux development so what do I know about it. [:$] I just hate to see good, free tools that are available on Linux only since I still keep failing at installing Linux... [:'(]
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@sas said:
GNUCash sounds very nice. Unfortunately, it presently cannot download data from financial institutions in the USA, which is crucial to me.
I don't think the GNU organization is any more interested in supporting Windoze development than Microsoft is for Linux.Did you check http://www.gnucash.org/en/required.phtml too? Apparantly there's some perl library and some other library that can retrieve some financial data from the Internet. Am not sure this is what you're looking for. If not then there's probably some other tool that can be used to retrieve that information you're looking for.
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Only Bob knows why I'm defending Intuit, but I think I can offer
something. The .qif import may be an industry standard, but
as you said, it's old. In Quicken 2005 (my first version) I would
much rather click the AutoUpdate button and have the transactions go
directly into my register than have to go to each bank or credit card
website and download a .qif. Both of my banks support web
services and 2 out of 4 credit cards do. The other two don't get
updated as often because it's a hassle.
If I had to guess, Intuit is doing this not to screw customers, but to
push the financial institutions to moving to web services.
dave
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When is it acceptable to force users to upgrade their software? I
suppose that if it concerns a dangerous security issue you could force
people, but forcing them only for some improvements is absurd. And they
ask an extra sum of money as well... :S
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Yeah ive always despised quickbooks (which is the aussie version of
quicken i guess), i was the all round IT guy for a smallish accounting
firm in Australia, and i had the fun job of updating all the computers,
quickbooks (and myob as well) were always a PITA to install on 20
computers in one night, and i agree that they just get worse and worse
with every version.
It seriously cant be that hard to make a program like quicken (if you
know about accounting and know the laws etc), dont even bother asking
them for suport if your on a terminal server you just get "im sorry but
we dont support that environment".
Although in their defense i have heard that the QIF support was to be
phased out because it had the habbit of corrupting the datafile.
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TrendyTime: It's not a regional difference. The Quicken brand is used
for personal finance software whereas QuickBooks is used for
business-oriented software that presumably follows legal accounting
regulations.
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Thats right i remember now, youd think i would have learnt something
after 5 years in an accounting firm.either way, all Intuit's stuff is
pretty rubbishy from my experience with it.
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Katja: Unless I'm mistaken, the Bob he is referring to is the Patron
Saint of the Church of the Subgenius. (Google for it, it's quite
entertaining)
I'm off now in search of Slack,
-blue
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<FONT size=2>Then again, I never did any Linux development so what do I know about it. I just hate to see good, free tools that are available on Linux only since I still keep failing at installing Linux... </FONT>
You aren't missing much...
Does MYOB do anything for you? Im not sure if thats targeted only at the Aussie tax system or not. Might pay to check...
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There should be a better word than sucks for Quicken products. I
only use it because my bank forced me to when I started online banking
4 or 5 years ago. Now they allow MS Money, which I was used to
then, but has now morphed into something as scary as Quicken.
It is one of the two or three least user-friendly, buggy software
products I have EVER used in 20 years of home and small business
computing. I keep hoping new versions will mean easier-to-use
products, but alas, no.
Their prices are no bargain, compared to comparable software out
there. But then, I've been discovering shareware often beats the
pants off "name brand" software like Norton, Microsoft and costs half
as much or less.
I'm here today because when I opened Quicken, the program informed me
of an "upgrade", which I downloaded and hopefully installed. I
say hopefully, as there was a message to check the "services" icon on
my toolbar. That icon doesn't exist, and all references on the
menu to "services" are simply for extras they want me to pay even more
for!
Now my sounds don't work, and yes, I've checked control panel and the speakers, etc.
Quicken STINKS. Saying it sucks is an insult to the word "suck".
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@Katja said:
@KeyserSoze said:
Only Bob knows why I'm defending Intuit
Who is Bob? Is he a member too? [:P]
[url=http://www.subgenius.com/index.htm][img]http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~mt/subg/bob.gif[/img][/url]
"J.R. "Bob" Dobbs
If you have to ask if they're serious, then you'll never understand the answer.
<font size="2">But then, from the emoticon she used, I think it's safe to say that Katya already knew that.</font>
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Update!
I have found an alternative, and it runs on Linux and Max as well as WindBlows. It's called Money Dance (http://www.moneydance.com/). I haven't looked at it yet except for a 10 second glance at the website. So far, it sounds good... can download QFX, QIF, no ads builtin, free trial, and NO ADS! I'm on it... but if anyone has any experience with it, I'd like to hear about it.
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SubGenius? It's been years -- thanks for the flashback!
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INUIT SLAMS ITS CUSTOMERS
Has anybody had this happen rcently?
I called Intuit for tech support (a joke in its own right). They took my CC #, then agreed that I had identified a bug. Ergo, no charge. Right?
Wrong!
A week later, I get a package in the mail thanking me for signing up for monthly support? What the fuck? I called Intuit and they assured me that I would be dropped and would not be charged.
Now I'm getting monthly charges for $25 a pop.
What a bunch of slimy assholes.
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@Yossarian said:
Has anybody had this happen rcently?
I called Intuit for tech support (a joke in its own right). They took my CC #, then agreed that I had identified a bug. Ergo, no charge. Right?
Wrong!
A week later, I get a package in the mail thanking me for signing up for monthly support? What the fuck? I called Intuit and they assured me that I would be dropped and would not be charged.
Now I'm getting monthly charges for $25 a pop.
What a bunch of slimy assholes.
Challenge it with a chargeback for each charge you get nailed for.
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Oh come'on guys, MS Money isn't that bad, the price is definetly much better than Quicken and MS is often giving out sweet rebate/coupons on Money around the tax season brining the price down even further.
I'm all for a better package but I somehow feel dumbed down by an application using the iTunes UI model. Ok ok I know OS10 Tiger wants everything to look like iTunes but please, I'll pass.