Microsoft Money Standard 2005 [OLD VERSION]

Other products by Microsoft

Product Features

• Easy-to-use personal finance software
• Automatically consolidates online financial information
• Works with bank Web site to access account info
• Create budgets; track expenses; pay bills online
• View the big picture or quickly drill down to details

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002D1572
• Item model number: 105-00502
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 2, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,494 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #20 in	Software > Personal Finance > Investment Tools
  #87 in	Software > Personal Finance > Money Management

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Microsoft Money 2005 Standard is the personal finance solution that provides fast, current answers to your basic financial questions by automatically consolidating all your online financial information.

Features:

• Get fast answers: Money works with your bank’s Web site to access your account balances and transactions automatically--no more visiting multiple sites with multiple passwords.
• Focus on what's important to you: Money fits your own financial management style, whether you want to see the big picture at a glance or quickly drill down to details.
• Get automatic spending analysis: transactions are automatically categorized so you can easily track your spending.
• Take care of bills automatically: know what’s paid and what’s due, pay bills online, and get updated account balances.
• Your budget, your way: watch a few expenses--such as dining out or utilities--create a complete budget, or see all your financial details.

Product Description
MODEL- MS-CD80983WI VENDOR- MICROSOFT CORPORATION FEATURES- Money 2005 Standard Edition- Mini Box Microsoft Money 2005 Standard is the personal finance solution that provides fast, current answers to your basic financial questions by automatically consolidating all your online financial information. * Get fast answers Money works with your bank s Web site to access your account balances and transactions automatically--no more visiting multiple sites with multiple passwords. * Focus on what is important to you Money fits your own financial management style, whether you want to see the big picture at a glance or quickly drill down to details. * Get automatic spending analysis Transactions are automatically categorized so you can easily track your spending. * Take care of bills automatically Know what is paid and what is due, pay bills online, and get updated account balances. * Your budget, your way Watch a few expenses--such as dining out or utilities--create a complete budget, or see all your financial details. REQUIREMENTS- Multimedia PC with Pentium 166 or faster processor (or compatible); Pentium II 266 (or compatible) processor required for Windows XP (Pentium II 300 recommended). Windows XP: 64 MB of RAM (128 MB recommended); Windows 2000 or Windows 98 SE: 32 MB of RAM (64 MB recommended). 130 MB of available hard-disk space, plus 60 MB for Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (if not already installed), plus an additional 200 MB while installing product updates. 2x or faster CD-ROM drive

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars SKIP this "Upgrade" and STICK with 2004, October 17, 2004

By	Philip Lochner (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with all the other reviews. It's like this product came completely out of left field, which is odd because for the most part, Microsoft Money tends to improve each version. Sure, 2004 had stuff that 2003 didn't need, or 2002's version moved things around slightly from 2001, but the main program core remained the same.

Not the case with 2005. Gone are cash flow forecasts, dual-category transaction forms, and plenty of other little things and features you've been seeing in the program since 1996. The help file is buggy and while you try to find out how to get 2005 to do the same thing 2004 used to do, you get completely irrelevant results.

This program won't upgrade 2004, it'll just add another confusing installation directory. It'll automatically reformat your Money 2004 file to it's own new format, thankfully it created a 2004 backup that I could go back to because 2005 gives you no option to save "down" to a previous version.

Even 2004's annoying but sometimes useful audio help is gone for no particular reason. 2005 is a bit prettier, but it turns off many features and hides other VERY basic preference settings under so many layers worth of screens and windows. Your wheel mouse doesn't work in 2005 for some reason. Reports and links to sponsors show up with red X's as images for some reason. Just sloppy, sloppy.

I didn't bother seriously trying the debt reduction planner or budget planner, as it appeared to have changed significantly from the elegant 2003-2004 versions.

I don't know WHAT Microsoft was thinking when they released this. Very poor product that delivers plenty less than you're used to in the 2004 version. Don't upgrade and skip 2005 - hopefully version 2006 will be much better.

155 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not upgrade!, September 26, 2004

By	R. Jones (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a MS Money fan so was quick to get the 05 version. Well I am uninstalling and rolling back to last years version!

First there is a new Internet Services Policy you must agree to. It starts out with "Microsoft® Money 2005 includes up to two (2) years of Internet-based Services. You will be able to use the Internet-based Services in Microsoft Money 2005 for a period of two (2) years from installation of the product or until September 1, 2007, whichever is earlier."
**** In two years you can not perform online banking!!!

Second the little Money Express program that reminds you of upcoming bills is gone.

I have 3 words for this program - Do Not Upgrade!
Stay With Your Current Version

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not As Bad As All That!!, January 30, 2005

By	Doug Bass (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This version of Microsoft Money is not as bad as people are saying. I almost returned it before installing it when I read some of the reviews, and I'm glad I didn't. Overall, I'm happy with it.

Some of the things written by other reviewers are incorrect. The dual-category transaction forms are not gone - they are still there. I suspect the person making that comment did not check the "Show transaction forms" checkbox.

They HAVE changed the way "upcoming bills and deposits" work, but they're still there, if you go to the Bill Calendar. They're not in one all-inclusive list anymore; rather they're arranged in calendar format, with the bills appearing in the date box on which they're due. Once you get used to it, no big deal. But I can see how a person could get confused - Microsoft is definitely pushing users to sign up and use their bill-pay service. But you don't have to; you can still manage your bills the way you always could.

Others have claimed that Microsoft is uploading your financial data to their servers. This only happens if you explicitly sign up for that service. I will admit that it's not crystal clear that it's optional, but it is. The agreement that you have to accept when the product installed has to do with updates to the program itself - patches and such.

I don't see all the cause for alarm. It's a good product.