Customer Reviews

Quicken 2008 Starter Edition [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

You should ask yourself - "how can a piece of software be capable of generating so much hostility from its user base?" If you can't think up a good answer, go ahead and install Quicken, and you'll have an answer before long.

Some of my favorite quirks from Quicken 2006 & 2007 that I'm glad to see survived the upgrade to Quicken 2008:

Basic arithmetic errors: sometimes, if you edit transactions in the register, every subsequent transaction will get confused about the running total (e.g., change a $10 debit to a $20 debit, and instead of changing the running total by $10, watch in delight and amazement as the running total leaps by thousands, literally thousands, of dollars).

Basic reporting errors: go ahead and open the category list, and click the (very unintuitive) button to generate a report for the category _DivInc. If, like me, you have several years of investment transactions, you're sure to have dividend income, but Quicken will tell you "no transactions for this category." Funny, if you type _DivInc into the global search window, it will bring up all those transactions the report couldn't locate.

File corruption: sometimes, I like to imagine Quicken's routines as a bunch of angry little gnomes running around the traces of my processor and through the registers of my memory. This is because, every so often, the gnomes demand a sacrifice, and offer up burnt offerings of your data integrity to their terrible god of woe. I can't otherwise imagine how downloading QFX data from Hewitt Associates confused Quicken so - in the online center, it shows "number of outstanding transactions: -65,536" Yep, negative 2 to the 16th power of transactions outstanding.

Probably the worst part about Quicken, however, is trying to free your data. If you've got any kind of complicated financial picture (i.e, if you're over 25 years old), you won't be able to free yourself from Quicken's grasp, since the only way to get data out of the program is in QIF format, one measly account at a time. Funny, they don't support _importing_ QIFs, claiming, and I quote, "QIF technology is over 10 years old and was designed for technical support purposes . . . QIF Data Import requires many steps to download, is a poor customer experience and can lead to duplicate transactions and errors." That old technology is good enough for you should you dare to _export_ data from Quicken, however. They're going to make darn sure that you have a "poor customer experience" and suffer from "duplicate transactions and errors" if you try to take your data anywhere else.

Quicken has come out with yet another in a parade of buggy, incrementally underwhelming releases.

I've stuck with Quicken 2006 which has quite a few bugs, but I know what they are now after using it for 2 years. There are vast reaches of every Quicken release that will just not work right. Those are usually the "nifty/cool" features they tout on the box and in the ads. They just slap those features in and then ship the product, even with the code not completely tested and working correctly.

The check register and so forth is pretty solid -- most of the time. Even so, once you get a lot of transactions in your database, things start to go a little nuts and you can't reconcile anymore, without putting in "Balance Adjustment" entries. Believe me, I have sat there with printouts and hardcopy statements in hand, and there is no discrepancy. Just a bug somewhere that pops up every 3-4 months or so.

If you own a previous version of Quicken, don't bother upgrading. If you are looking to buy something new to get started, try Microsoft Money first.

Don't believe the description which states you can track your investments with this version. It only supports checking, savings, and credit cards. Looks like you need to spend an extra $60+ for the Premier Edition to support investment tracking.

I guess I should have read the description in more detail but this version will not convert ANY data from a previous version of Quicken. In fact, it cannot be installed on your computer without deleting any previous versions of Quicken.

If you want to convert existing data you have to buy a more expensive version(or Microsoft Money).

Thanks goodness for the 60 day return guarantee.

What's with all the whining? Didn't the negative reviewers read the box before they bought it? The front of the box clearly states it is for "First Time Users."

From the Quicken Web site:

>>>
Get a better handle on your finances, so you always know where you stand. Quicken Starter Edition shows you where your money is going for the month -- so you can see what you have left over. Ideal for first-time Quicken users.

NOTE: Does not import existing Quicken data.*
<<<

I have used Quicken since V2 for DOS (that's almost 20 years) and have found it invaluable. No, I don't use some of the more advanced features and I don't upgrade every time they come out with a new version. (I am currently using 2005 Basic.) I have never had an issue with it as far as math mistakes or reconciliation, except for the time I forgot to make the deposit I entered into the program. : <

Am I a total fan? No. I am annoyed that every upgrade changes the file format. After installation it upgrades your data so you can't go back to the previous edition if you don't like the "improvements." They also can't leave well enough alone and have to tweak the interface each time, usually screwing it up. And the lack of a "Basic" edition that will allow me to use my current data is enough to not upgrade for me. (Besides, how can you improve on 1+1=2?)

Would I recommend Quicken? Yes, but know what you are getting. This version is basic and for first time users only. If you must upgrade from a previous version it looks like the Deluxe version is your "basic" choice. For me, there aren't enough "improvements" in the new version to justify the cost. The "old" version continues to work fine.

Every 3 years, Intuit forces users to buy the newest version or lose the ability to use the online features, such as downloading and synchronizing bank transactions. So, next year in April, the 2006 version will stop functioning online. They can call it what they want, but I call it sleazy, sleazy. Do a Google search, and you will find other lower cost options out there that don't have timebombs in them to force you to hand over your cash every few years.

I have never purchased a software package that did not allow one to upgrade--until now that is. But the instructions make it clear that you cannot incorporate your Quicken 2007 accounts into the starter edition. No you have to purchase the Deluxe version at $20 more in order to do that. I cannot rate this edition otherwise. I am not going to start my accounts over again and will take advantage of the 60 return guarantee to get my money back. I will let you know if Intuit at least honors that guarantee.

This has to be the marketing blunder of the decade. While Intuit formerly matched Microsoft Money by offering a basic version of Quicken free with the purchase of Turbotax (vs. H&R Block Tax Cut), this year they offer only an emasculated "starter edition."

If there ever were a strategy to drive customers to the competing Microsoft Money product this would be it -- offering the package of basic financial management and tax prep software for nearly $20 more than the competition. The programs are quite similar, though Intuit has a better user interface on the whole.

This and Turbotax are good software -- but this strategy shows a lack of awareness for the marketplace. Does Microsoft win yet again???

Wanted an alternative to the ms monopoly. This Q is a big disappointment and I sent it back with turbo tax for a full refund.

--> does NOT import brokerage information (ms cheapest does!)
--> no response to my email questions

After all that frustration, over an hour with USAA tech support, I dl the MS starter edition. It installed in about 1/5 time of Q, and I was dl banking AND brokerage data in minutes. MS wins hands down, and also automatically categorizes purchases and creates budgets. IN no way a ms fan but they clearly win in this case.

I just bought this new version of Quicken with this year's Turbo Tax. Tonight I was going to take a preliminary look into how to use the program and(I'll save the long story of how I finally figured it out)was stunned to learn that there is NO help file available in the software, on their website, anywhere. They are "working on it" but until they get it solved all users are on their own. This problem does not exist with the more expensive versions; coincidence?