Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 Review

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(More customer reviews)I am currently using Peachtree Premium accounting 2005 and would NEVER recommend that anyone use this software.
First, the software is full of bugs. For example, our accounts receivable aging is constantly becoming out of balance with our general ledger. This is clearly a system issue. Peachtree / Best Software has built an "integrity check" which is their system for fixing the database. I have been forced to run this integrity check, which takes approximately 2 hours to complete, 4 times this month. I check our A/R balance again today, and it is again out of balance. This will be the 5th time this month I've been forced to take my staff off line (no one can use the system while this integrity check is running), with no real resolution in sight.
I've just completed the integrity check and it found 88 database errors to correct. That is just in the past 5 days.
Second, the system is extremely slow over the network. Our internal network is very stable and rarely has issues with any other network activity. Peachtree is by far the slowest running program on our network.
Third, the system regularly freezes and crashes. When the program freezes or crashes, it requires the user to reboot. Often times, the user will be locked out of the system, because Peachtree thinks that there is still a user there. Eventually, the solution is to reboot the server where the network database resides. Again, this requires all users to stop using the system and to wait for the network system to come back up again.
resolving issues. Typically, their solution is to say that it is a problem with the way we are doing things here, when in fact we are following advice they have given us in the past.
I cannot UNrecommend this product more.

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Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 has the accounting tools you need to save time and money,when managing your finances. Manage your accounting and business with advanced features suchas in-depth inventory, job costing, time and billing and fixed assets. Controlling thefinancial end of your small business has never been easier!Track extensive detail on each of your inventory items -price levels, tax types, weight, cost method, item type and more Built-in fixed assets management software -organize assets, calculate depreciation, and work with reliable tax reporting of up to 200 assets Full-service payroll features with update services, direct deposit and the Peachtree Payroll Tax Update Service

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QuickBooks Premier Edition 2007 Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't Upgrade....
Besides everything being on one screen it seems not much has changed since 2004 version, which we where forced to upgrade out of if we wanted to keep using payroll.
One major problem is we have 2 companies and now- with the new edition -our server has to have Quickbooks open for multiple users to access the file (which also takes one of the licenses). If 2 users want to work in the other file they cannot.
Trying to talk with a Quickbooks represenative about this issue is like hitting your head against the wall, although they are nice. One will have you install it one way and the other the next way and neither way gets you to a better solution.
Anyway, overall Quickbooks is a good value for the money if this is your first software package, but I don't think it is worth an upgrade even from QB 2004 .


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QuickBooks Premier 2007 is the all-in-one accounting tool that puts your company on the path to better financial management. Plan for success with easy-to-use tools that help you monitor business performance, build forecasts, and create a business plan. Work flexibly with specialized tools for tracking inventory assemblies, creating purchase orders, setting multiple price levels, and accessing your data via the Web. Pay bills, print checks, track expenses, create customized estimates, invoices, purchase orders and reports - track time & job costs more easily than ever. Make sure your business is on track with financial management tools that take the work out of planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing performance. QuickBooks Premier 2007 makes it all happen -- and best of all, it makes it all happen more easily. View customer, vendor, employee and payroll information exactly the way you need it -with contact information, transaction histories, and balances, all visible in a single screen See the complete transaction history for any customer -- Initiate new estimates, invoices, and other transactions, with customer information already in place Interactive Customer Center lets you select any vendor to see purchase orders, bills, and payments See contact information for any employee and a complete list of checks paid The improved Payroll Center now has a review, confirm, and submit process that provides full confirmation of payroll scheduling Start marketing and advertising your business and products on the Internet in just a few easy steps, with Google Marketing Tools

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MYOB ACCOUNTEDGE 2009 FOR MAC Review

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(More customer reviews)Update: Here's where I started exploring MYOB in 2004. Six years later I'm still happy with the decision to use MYOB. Hopefully this review will help you make a smart decision. - David Cannon
I, like you, have been wading through the sea of worthless hyped information in search of a decent small business accounting package. I'm not an accountant, I am small business owner with a mission. When I asked my small biz friends what they were using, their usual offer was to loan me a copy of quickbooks on cdrom. I declined each time while asking more probing questions.

The #1 QB complaint was too many upsell ads followed by complaints about QB's cumbersome steps. All recommended at least 12 hours of self training before using QB. Three of five said they had quit using quickbooks pro. Two had outsourced accounting to a part time bookkeeper for about $1500 month.
Over the years I have worked in consulting. I was on the project team for installation and conversion of the worlds largest installation of Oracle Financials (at Zales Jeweler's). The moral learned was that consultants NEVER recommend something that cuts into future consulting revenue. So why do accountant's pitch QB??? Is it popularity, apathy or greed? Interesting that CNET reviews of QB don't display any score. Since 2004 CNET gives MYOB a 7.7 and SA is 7.0. So how could I possibly compare with that data? The answer is that it's not possible. While most people would give up and simply roll the dice on QB - My stubborn dedication drives me to seek a better answer.
Facts discovered so far:
1) ALL the old QB reviews are bad signs, Many of the old MYOB reviews were somewhat good with certain conditions.
2) MYOB offers a free flash tutorial & 30 day moneyback or you can take the trial download. [...]
3) Small business owners are pioneers, control freeks, willing to give-up a steady paycheck to purse an uncertain path to their dreams. We take our chances and make our own money. I can't get ahead by just following the pack.
4) You will have to invest some effort to learn a new product. I planned on 12 hours over one weekend.
5) I need a good solid bookkeeping system. Advanced forcasting just does not apply in small business. We always want more and need to focus on better marketing & promotions. No accounting package would have forcasted my sales growth correctly. A good promotion can completely change your future. You can really kick start sales with "Free Publicity" by my new friend Jeff Crilley (Fox News) and "Ultimate Marketing Plan" by Dan Kennedy.
6) I will always have to pay for annual upgrades anyway.
7) You should expect tech support is usually a low paid warm body reading from the manual. Good training on my end is the better strategy for most issues. (search on myob training)
I downloaded the free trial from [...] along with the tutorial. My control freek nature wants to make a program conform to me, but I have agreed to give it a chance using it as designed. Next week I will reload the system and begin using it for daily operations. So far it looks good for my service business... Try it yourself before cratering to QB. Your future may depend on it.
I wish you all the best in your endeavor,
David Cannon
President, CertTest Training Center - Management Development & Certification
Author, Sybex an imprint of John Wiley & Sons

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Peachtree By Sage Complete Accounting 2009 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I gave the 2008 version a pretty scathing review, however, (after a couple days mind you) this version seems to reach all the promise of 2008 that was unfullfilled. I guess the biggest new feature is the ability to look at more than 2 years of data but to me the improvements are in the stability and speed. Things actually open fast, like they were suppose to in 2008. I had various bugs in 2008(backups freezing, front screen not showing any data etc..) that have miraculously disappeared with 2009. I have been using this single user version but also have a network version I will install soon. I never installed 2008 on the network after being so disappointed with it in the single environment.
I will update the rating if things change and will likely post under the multi-user version once I get that installed but after reading what they improved they seem to have focused on improving the network abilities of Peachtree so I'm hopeful the speed and stability carries over to the multi-version as well.
The install was flawless and recognized the anti-virus and firewall by name and gave detailed instructions on dealing with both during install.
I am running on Vista and also on a pretty updated machine with max memory so I can't vouch for slower machines until I do the network install. If you are familiar with Peachtree pre-2008 you likely agree it had been the best program for the money bar none. Early returns suggest it is back to that position. Also note they have a quantum version if you run a larger network and need to keep the speed up as I imagine the regular versions will slow down past 3-4 people on a network.
I trashed them in the 2008 review so I have to give them early props for 2009.

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Peachtree Complete Accounting 2008 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been a Peachtree customer for over 17 years. I had not upgraded for a few years and felt this would be the time to do so. Some of the new features looked quite attractive. The first thing I noticed after insalling the multi-user version on my network is that they had changed the datbase from the Novell btrieve format to Pervasive SQL. I thought this would be good as I have usually noticed SQL databases run faster. Boy was I mistaken. The program ran so slow it was unusable. Different windows might take 30 seconds to pop up and another screen would take 20 seconds to save. The confusing thing was the behavior was not consistent it would run fast for a few transactions then revert to running slow. Peachtree technical support told me my server was not fast enough to handle the new version even though all my other software programs ran fine on the network. I should have been suspicious because Peachtree ran this slow even when I was the only one using the network. Nevertheless, I bought a new $3,600 Server and much to my dismay Peachtree ran just as slow. Then Peachtree Technical support claimed it was my network switch so I bought a newer one for $650. No improvement. I could see what was coming next. They claimed it was my workstations. I was about to upgrade the 3 bookkeeping computers anyway so I spent $1,950 each to buy very fast systems for the 3 of them. Still no change. I have searched around the Internet and found that I am not the only one to have these problems. It seems that the newest versions of Peachtree with the Pervasive SQL database where only designed to be run in Single user mode and not on a network. They built the network functions on later. I am very upset with Peachtree technical support for lying to me. If they would have told me the truth that there where some problems with the network abilities in the new version of Peachtree and that they were working on them, I would have saved thousands of dollars in new hardware that they claimed I needed. The last thing they told me was that I just needed to upgrade to Peachtree Quantum Accounting because it ran much faster. That would cost me thousands more. They must be kidding. I will never trust them again. My old version ran fine but they tell me there is now way to downgrade my data files. I am looking around for another brand of software now. If it can painlessly convert my Peachtree data I will switch.

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Peachtree Complete Accounting 2008 is ideal for small business people who want accuracy, control and better business results. It combines robust core accounting with advanced features like job costing, time and billing, in-depth inventory capabilities and analysis tools. Complete Accounting 2008 also contains features to customize and controll Payroll. It lets you choose among 125+ customizable business reports and financial statements. Payroll solutions Time and billing job costing - Know in an instant if a job is worth starting, before you even begin! Easily determine which jobs are more profitable by comparing all job expenses Fixed assests - Calculate depreciation easily, quickly, and accurately Analysis and reporting - Easily select more fields to include on your report, expand your filtering options and sort your reports by more fields than ever Quickly and easily perform what if analysis to understand the impact of changing business conditions with the Peachtree Cash Manager Use the Payment Manager to drill down through four levels of aging analysisDetail Transaction Report Time savers and customization Option for multiple users (additional licenses required); Option online bill paying and reconcilliation Windows Vista Compatible Owners receive 30 days free support upon registration Works with Windows 2000 SP3, XP SP2, Vista / Integrates with Excel, Outlook and Word

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Myob Accountedge 2008 for Mac Also Includes Network Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been a regular user of AccountEdge since September of 1999, having switched when intuit could not guarantee a Y2K patch for QuickBooks Pro. Since MYOB has a new version of the software, I thought this would be a good time to take a look at what other accounting programs for Macintosh were being offered. I was surprised to see three other robust programs available. Reading the specs though I could see they were designed for smaller businesses such as sole proprietorships, or specific types of businesses (i.e., retail), or individuals. The two big players on the market for small to medium businesses are still QuickBooks Pro and MYOB AccountEdge (or Peachtree, if you are running an Intel Mac.) I know that MYOB maintains a commitment to continue to develop for the Macintosh platform. This is not necessarily so for Intuit and definitely not for Peachtree. And, Intuit recently had some major issues with user data being lost. http://db.tidbits.com/article/9378.
It's not my intention to review MYOB AccountEdge by using QuickBooks Pro as their foil. The truth is that there are very few Accounting programs that are supported on a Macintosh. And even though I always give kudos to MYOB for their support of the Macintosh platform, there are always features that can be improved upon. Most notably for me was the length of time it took MYOB to be up and running for the OS 10.5 Panther release. At this point in time, MYOB has the following statement on the website:
AccountEdge and AccountEdge Network Edition 2008 are certified compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Make sure you are on the latest version by opening the Help menu from the top menu bar and choosing Check for Product Updates from the Help menu. Following is a list of known issues.
Payroll forms - In order to run any payroll forms - including W-2s - at the end of the year, you will need to download an updated Payroll Forms Viewer. This update can be accessed by opening AccountEdge, navigating to the Help menu, and then selecting Check For Updates.
Upgrading files - When opening a file from a previous version, you may receive an "Upgrade Assistant is unable to process the company file" error message. You must first upgrade the file using the Upgrade Assistant found in your MYOB AccountEdge 2008 applications directory.
New Features in MYOB AccountEdge 2008
Backup to .mac. is by far one the best new feature for my money. This offsite backup capability for .mac account holders is useful for businesses that do not have any other offsite backup in place. When the backup command is selected, there is an option to back up to disk, or to .mac. The user also has the option to back up only the company file which saves on storage space. I have to say that I am having problems with this new feature, and had hoped to have it solved before posting this review. My workaround right now is to back my company file up to disc, then open .mac and upload the file from there. My past experience with this company on issues like this is that they are eventually taken care of. It could be that there is a conflict on my end as well. I've yet to sign up for a support plan, but will be doing so.
iCal integration is a great tool for people who use iCal on a regular basis. One advantage I can see to this is if the user has a customer that is historically late with payments. Publishing the invoice to iCal will bring up a reminder to contact the customer when the invoice is due. Other reminders such as bill payments and recording recurring transactions can also be sent to iCal just by selecting the checkbox in the open window.
New Payroll features include better sick leave and vacation tracking, and auto calculating the same. This is a great feature both the payroll clerk and employee will benefit from.
Statements have been updates to be more customizable. This is a great new feature, as in prior versions the statements could be confusing to some customers who did not pay their entire invoice in full.
The Command Center has a new look. It's OK, not really necessary but nice to see. Also added to the command center is a feature called Task Drawer. It is a slide out window controlled by a button on the bottom right edge of the Command Center. The Task Drawer holds a list of the most common functions the user can customize to his or her specific tasks.
The W-2 and W-3 function in AccountEdge 2008 is greatly improved from earlier versions of the software. Using Forms Viewer, the user can now print plain paper copies of these forms, eliminating the need to purchase costly pre-printed forms from third party vendors.
There are other new features in AccountEdge 2008 that can improve productivity once the user becomes familiar with them. Command +N now bring up new, accounts, jobs, invoices, depending on the window the user is working in. Previously this command would only bring up a new window. If you are using direct deposit for payroll, you can now email pay-stubs to the employees, saving on printing.
MYOB offers it's Accounting 101 tutorial for people who are just starting out, or need a refresher course in Accounting. I would recommend that anyone who is considering this software be somewhat familiar with standard accounting practices, however.
New customers can take advantage of an online training webinar. For a fee, MYOB offers Full Service Payroll, Credit Card Processing, Direct Deposit, eFiling, and Vendor Payment services. I've not tried any of these, but I can see how they would make sense for a small business that doesn't want to spend a lot of time taking care of these types of tasks.
If you are running Leopard (OS 10.5) make sure all your software updates have been downloaded and installed., including 10.5.1. Also helpful is the latest version of stuffit expander 12.0.1 Once MYOB AccountEdge is installed, choose check for updates from your MYOB products under the help menu, download and install. Ancillary programs such as Forms Viewer need to be updated the same way, by looking under the help menu. Make sure the most current tax tables are loaded by choosing that feature once the program is fully installed and updated.
I hear a lot of complaining about paid support plans, and read about problems with them on the message boards. I'd like to speak up in defense of paid support plans. In one sense it is no different from purchasing AppleCare for hardware products. It's there if you need it, and hopefully you don't. Also, the company has to have staff on hand for those who do need help with the software. I imagine there are a percentage of users who know little about accounting and use the support plans for reasons other than software glitches. That said, when comparing cost of ownership including the support plan over a three year period, between QuickBooks and MYOB, MYOB offers the best value for money.
There is a user discussion board accessible through the MYOB site. I have found it useful to read through some of the discussions. One thread recently reported that networked machines on Leopard using file-connect have noticed an improvement is speed. Speed has been an issue since the introduction of the Networked version of AccountEdge, so I'm glad to see that has been improved upon.
A trial version of this software is available for 30 days, and support is free for the first 30 days.
MYOB offers a free Accountant's Version of the software to qualified users.
MYOB AccountEdge and AccountEdge Network Edition 2008 version 8 System Requirements
Minimum requirements for full installation:
'Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later
'PowerMac G3 or later with at least 128 MB RAM
'100MB of available Hard Disk space for program installation. 245MB for full installation
'Average of 35 MB additional HD space for each company file maintained with MYOB AccountEdge
'1024x768 screen resolution running thousands of colors
Help System, Payroll Updates and Business Services:
'Internet access required for payroll updates and forms, as well as Internet-based Business Services
'Safari or Firefox
'QuickTime 5.0 or higher
Networking Requirements:
'AccountEdge Network Edition recommended for multi-user networking
'G5 processor or better with at least 1 GB RAM
'100BaseT or faster Ethernet network
Microsoft Office connection requires:
'Microsoft Word® X and 2004
'Microsoft Excel® X and 2004
Intel-Based Mac Compatibility:
'AccountEdge v7 and above will run natively on both Intel-based and PowerPC Macs.
1. Mac OS X 10.4 or later is required for syncing with Mac Address Book. 2. (UNIX File System) formatted hard drives are not supported
MyMac rating on this product is 4.5 out of 5.

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Corporate Portals: Revolutionizing Information Access to Increase Productivity and Drive the Bottom Line Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a one-of-a-kind in that it provides equal coverage ofo the business and technical aspects of corporate portals. Further, it gives a very succinct description of what a portal is, and how portals can provide measurable benefits to a business.
With respect to what value a portal brings the author sums it up with an illustration early in the book that shows the many different types of portals, and the sub-categories of corporate portals. As a consultant who needs to be able to explain what a portal is in the clearest possible terms I found this one graphic worth the price of the book.
Let me cut to the chase: this book is valuable and has many strengths. It also has some shortcomings. I'll address its strengths first.
The first four chapters were gold mines. They start with a business problem statement, define portal types and their fit to specific business goals, and step you through building a business case for a portal. This is excellent information that is not only well written, but shows Ms. Collins as a seasoned expert who has done this many times before. Some of the final chapters were equally as valuable - in particular chapter 13 that addresses financial metrics analysis, and chapter 15, which is an example business case that nicely augments chapter 4.
Of great value are the checklists that are sprinkled throughout the book. They reflect the author's experience and will make your life simpler if you use them during the business analysis and implementation phases of a portal project.
I liked the author's treatment of knowledge management, which is one of the main business reasons to implement a portal. Ms. Collins demonstrates a deep understanding of this subject and it is one of the key strengths of the book. If you want to go deeper into knowledge management I recommend building upon the excellent foundation that Ms. Collins provides with Knowledge Management Toolkit by Amrit Tiwana.
There are a few weaknesses as well.
Ms. Collin's approach to making direct links to reports, analysis and queries is "brute force" in my opinion and misses one of the key features all portal software provides: the ability to interface with data using SQL queries to stuff an XML defined document type (in correct terms, "Document Type Definition") template and displaying the result using XSL (extended stylesheet language) for presentation. All or the major portals come with mechanisms called "portlets", "gadgets" and other catchy names depending on the vendor, that facilitate this method. XML and XSL are each mentioned once in the book and only in passing. I strongly use readers who are developing a portal solution that will draw from data sources to read Building Corporate Portals With XML by Finkelstein, Aiken and Zachman.
Another potential shortcoming, depending on your industry and objectives, is the treatment of identity management. While identity management is an extremely important consideration, the entity-relationship approach proposed in the book will not be effective in certain circumstances. Unfortunately, the author did not offer alternative methods. For example, if you are in health care your identification requirements are going to be governed by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which means that you need to consider role-based access controls (RBAC) as a key component of your identification and access strategy. Determining to whom to grant rights to what is a lot more complex than relatively simple E-R modeling. The design of an effective and provable RBAC strategy is through set theory. Energy is another industry that requires identification and access methods that are a lot more stringent that those recommended in this book because of the requirement to keep all regulated and unregulated business functions and data separate. Another key element of RBAC-schemes is directory-enabled identification and authentication that are independent of applications and services. The modeling for directory-based controls is object based and also cannot be done using the E-R approach. If you fall into any of these categories I strongly recommend augmenting this book with All About Network Directories by Kevin, Tina and Christina Kampman.
The above shortcomings do not detract from the value of this book as long as you take them into account. I think the author broke new ground when she wrote this book by tackling some important issues. First, she defines the real business value of a portal, then steps you through building a strategy for enabling business processes using portal technology. She also leads you through building a sound business case for implementing this technology using objective factors and measures. I have recommended this book to numerous colleagues and will continue to do so. It earns a solid five stars.

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An overview of enterprise information portals, otherwise known as "corporate portals". Corporate portals are entry points that give employees one-stop access to all of their company's information resources. This text explains the technology behind it, analyzes the benefits, and explains how to design and propose a corporate portal solution to decision-makers.

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Building a Profitable Online Accounting Practice Review

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(More customer reviews)Ignoring all the other bad reviews, I bought this book because it was the only one out there about doing accounting on the Internet. First of all, the content isn't at all what I had expected. Second, the book is full of chapters on stuff that doesn't make any sense. I mean, come on, a chapter on what the Internet is??? Aren't we a little past that? Third, the writing is difficult to follow and what little I did read through just left me confused.
I flipped through the whole book searching for SOMETHING useful and maybe found 5 pages total with info I might be able to use. Needless to say, I returned this book. Oh, and the fact that it costs like $33 is ridiculously expensive and absolutely NOT worth it for what you get...I wouldn't pay $2 for it!

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The first complete guide to taking advantage of the huge and growing market for Internet accounting services for small businessesThe Internet provides accountants with exciting new opportunities for expanding their practices by affording them unprecedented access to the huge small business market. The first comprehensive book on the subject, this book describes proven strategies for creating a thriving virtual accounting practice. Expert Jack Fox presents in-depth coverage of the various accounting and consulting services that accountants can offer to small business owners via the Internet. He describes successful techniques for identifying potential clients and packaging and marketing services, and arms readers with a complement of valuable tools for helping them get started in virtual accounting, including detailed business plans, numerous tables, forms, checklists, and connections with leading virtual accounting service providers.

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