QuickBooks Pro 2007
I figured that after three major versions it was finally time to update my QuickBooks. There are some things I like about the new version, such as the ability to remove clutter from the account list by making accounts inactive. I also like that my data is now stored in a SQLite database, rather than locked up in a completely proprietary binary format. But on the whole, it’s a disappointment. The interface is largely unchanged except for the use of smooth fonts (in most windows) and the major reorganization of the menus (which is fine, but after a few weeks I still haven’t adjusted to it). The new Accounts window takes up a huge amount of screen space, with unreasonably wide and unconfigurable column widths. Reference numbers are still limited to too few characters. And it’s slow. One of the reasons I wanted to upgrade is that the old version took a long time to launch in Rosetta. The universal version launches quicker but actually feels slower. I’m guessing this is related to the new file format.
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I've given up on Intuit products several years ago. Fortunately, I no longer need QuickBooks and I've switched to Moneydance for personal finance. Intuit's Mac support is downright terrible. When switching back to a Mac several years ago, I tried to convert my Windows Quicken data to Quicken on the Mac. The conversion was very poor and I was looking at several weeks of trying to clean up my data. Amazingly, Moneydance converted the same data almost perfectly (maybe an hour to clean up a few things).
What's even more amazing about the poor quality of Quicken and Quickbooks for the Mac is that the CEO of Intuit is on the board of Apple! How can a software CEO who publishes such second class software even consider being on the board of the company whose platform he treats like garbage?!
I've updated my QB for Mac every year since v. 6 and this is probably the worst upgrade to date. For $199 Intuit has given you the ability to offer customized invoices. It's embarrassing. When are they going to include the Navigation Window in the Mac version. Until they begin offering better support for Mac, I'm no longer interested in upgrading my OB. I recommend going on ebay and purchasing either 2005 or even 2006, but I would stay away from 2007.
A few months after purchasing QuickBooks 2007, I just received some promotional material offering $30 off if I upgrade to version 2007. Great job, Intuit. Not only did you not know that I purchased (and registered) QuickBooks 2007, but you also made me feel (even more) stupid for upgrading when I did.
What the hell are Intuit thinking, oh wait, apparently they are not. I have been doing my accounts on QB on my PC for a few years. I am a designer though and I use a mac for my work. Stupidly earlier in 2006 I bought the MAC version and was promptly informed or mis informed by several different people that my data would not actually move seemlessly between the two. The only solution was to go through every invoice that I had ever created and make sure that I had no line items with more than 50 characters! CRAP! I returned the software and continued with windows. Optimisticly I upgraded to MAC 2007 when it came out. My data moved easily from the PC to this new version. I am not sure how they can call it quickbooks though because it looks and behaves totally differently to the PC version. All of a sudden my accounts are in a package that I have no idea how to use. Once again I will be returning the software and going back to my PC version. I hate these Intuit guys and will take any chance I get to let people know what a crap product they have produced!
