I think maybe if I average the numbers, I can justify reviewing Quickbooks Pro 2000 without ever really using it. You see, I've used the '99 version since '99, and recently upgraded to 2001. I skipped the 2000 upgrade because there was so little difference between it and '99 that the expense wasn't justified.

I wish that I had make that same judgment when upgrading to the 2001 version. Upon initial installation, the new program conflicted with some of my other software, requiring that the old programs be removed and re-installed...net cost about 3 hours.

The program did convert my data satisfactorily. The new format is a little difficult to negotiate, but not so different as to really slow down work, and I was soon paying bills and posting deposits like crazy....until it got near payday.

I'm not sure what possessed me to wait to set up payroll until after I'd posted quite a few checks and deposits in the new program. If I hadn't, I think I would have shipped off the upgrade lock stock and barrel to Intuit as soon as I dialed the phone.

I initially contacted the Intuit payroll service and was informed that the problem that my computer was having downloading the payroll data was a technical one and not problem for payroll services. I was given a number for technical support.

After waiting for approximately 10 minutes on hold, I was informed that I needed to give the customer service representative a credit card number before I would be connected to a technician. I was also informed that the cost for the 'support' would be $4.00 per minute. I resisted enough to received both the President of Intuit's office phone number (his answering machine picked up...I haven't received the return call I requested) and the address for returning my software. A couple hours later (after weighing the pros and cons of switching to Peachtree) I once again dialed the technical support number.

After a 30 minute hold, the transfer of credit information and a great deal of exasperation, I finally was able to talk to a technician about my problem....three hours later we still had not come to a resolution, I was given a few "things to try" and a case number and instructed to call back if they didn't work.

I called back with the case number and was connected to a rather unpleasant technician who told me that my 128 megs of RAM was obviously not sufficient, and that I needed a memory upgrade before proceeding.

I shuffled off to the computer store and two hours later had installed another 128 mb in my computer.

I once again dialed Intuit. After another 30 minute wait, it was explained to me that the "hourly" technical support people were not there after 5 p.m. and that since I wasn't a "prepaid" support client, I couldn't talk to anyone that evening.

The next morning I called once again and approximately 30 minutes later was greeted by a very nice gentleman who, within 10 minutes was able to tell me how to fix my problem. (For those of you who may have a similar issue, we deleted the "history" in MS Explorer and were then able to download the files.)

I haven't yet received my credit card bill, but I'm anticipating that Intuit will not attempt to charge me for customer service calls that I had to make in order to install my program.

All in all Quickbooks Pro is a very nice and easy to use system which allows for considerable flexibility in producing both financial and managerial reports. The new payroll system is unfortunately complex and unrefined. I'm not in the position to consider changing software...at least not until next year, but I certainly wouldn't recommend that Quickbooks be used as the start-up software for a new business.



Recommended: No