Benefits of QB 2009?

I've been using QB for fourteen or fifteen years. IIRC, it always included payroll until fairly recently. I'm certain that in the beginning, the competing accounting software makers all advertised with emphasis on the "modules" included in the software packages, as in AR, AP, General Ledger, and Payroll. The Payroll module was important to me and one reason to use QB. Also the way that all modules were integrated into one nice software package. Yes there were free tax table downloads. And when the tables couldn't be downloaded for free after a year, you could still use the old downloaded tax table to continue to process payroll as long as you wanted. The tables didn't change much at that time anyway. When Intuit became the largest player in the field, they got real greedy. Now QB is just a big advertisement for every imaginable way that Intuit can think of to make more money. Want payroll? Just tell us how much more money you want to send us and we will give back some of the functionality that we used to include. I used to upgrade QB every year to get the free current tax table download. Wasn't QB2006 the last year to include this? Anyway, I'm one who is disappointed in the way Intuit has treated its longtime users. I no longer upgrade yearly, no reason to. I'm currently on QB2007. Yes you can still use QB to process payroll, at least as of 2007, but if you want to use it manually, Intuit has made sure it is so clunky and such a torture that you will want to sign up for the EXTRA payroll services. Now I will put on the flame suit in preparation for all the responses from the requlars on this list that seem to want to defend Intuit beyond all reason and demean anyone griping over a few dollars, actually hundreds, that Intuit wants to extort from its hostages, those who used to be customers.

"Scott" wrote in message news:scHdl.2949$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe01.iad...

You are absolutely correct. I would tolerate Intuit more if they would just raise the price on the whole package and perhaps charge extra for new features. I very much dislike it when they strip out old features to sell separately.

Agreed, screw the hundreds of thousands of users that do not process payroll from their QuickBooks.

snipped-for-privacy@lymphaticresearch.org wrote: ...

Unless there's something you need, there's no reason to upgrade. Am president of a nonprofit here that uses QB as well altho we do use the payroll function so will have to deal with it for that reason only. We've considered outsourcing rather than remaining hostage; not sure at this point what we'll do in the longer run.

For own business purposes, since don't do payroll, I'm still using QB 2K and have no intentions of ever updating it for any reason whatever as it still keeps the same old accounts it has for the past 10 years and I have no intentions of expanding or other changes that would require any additional features.

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Can we assume you still have a black and white TV with rabbit ears instead of a wide screen HD TV. How about them 45's still spinning?

Haskel LaPort wrote: ...

You may _assume_ whatever you wish... :)

(Altho it is actually color and uses outdoor antenna -- we're too distant from transmission towers for indoor to be effective)

The underlying point is, of course, that unless there's something of value in the upgrade, there's little if any sense in simply upgrading for upgrading's sake--except, of course, if you're Intuit or MS whose revenue stream diminishes otherwise.

I have no needs that aren't satisfied by the current version and wouldn't use any other features if had them. The same logic should, imo, be used in deciding whether any expenditure should be made -- is there a valid reason for doing so? "Just because" isn't sufficient.

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Then can we assume you tested version 2009 on your data and compared it with your 9 year old version and found nothing added or modified in all those years worth using? Have fun running QB 2000 on Vista or Windows 7 when it is released.

It has been my experience that many enhancements are added each year that do not even get mentioned in Intuit's literature.

That said, keep in mind that the posters most users seek advice from on this news group actually look forward to the upgrade that comes out every year.

Again, you can _assume_ whatever your little heart likes... :)

But, no, I didn't have any desires for anything that weren't already being accomplished other than the API would have had made a couple of things a little easier at one time but since have since quit the consulting practice the invoice preparation it could have aided is no longer an issue -- the farm business accounts are straightforward enough and the detailed production data for crops, animal husbandry, feeding regimens, fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide application plans and applicator licensing, etc., etc., etc., aren't anything Intuit knows anything about, anyway, nor do they have anything to offer in those areas so all their product is useful for is the generation of the accounting information primarily support for tax records and similar uses.

Such as... :)

I guess for the OP I'd also consider the size of the organization and its operating budget and where they think they're going to be in a few years as to whether there might be justification for staying current simply for "currentness' sake".

As comparison, the nonprofit of which I spoke earlier is fairly sizable but won't be expanding drastically and since high fraction of revenue is based on "touristy" traffic it is and has been strongly affected by higher travel costs (somewhat alleviated at the moment, of course) and the current economic downturn. Hence, deferring any expenditures may make more sense in such a climate even if in good times might do so as matter of course.

The question of concern re: support from Intuit is one of some legitimacy I hadn't thought of -- we have enough expertise on staff and available as volunteers/board members can't envision it becoming an issue here but there's always the unexpected never before seen event I suppose.

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Ah yes, get out the hammer and pound away on it just because it is working perfectly. We know the type. You'll be begging for government assistance soon enough.

Speak for yourself Allan.

Intuit will "sunset" the 2006 version sometime this spring. At that point you won't be able to do payroll or other Intuit addon products. You won't be able to call Intuit for help either.

If you need help, there are other ways of getting support. This newsgroup is one example. So is contacting a Pro Advisor or going to the QuickBooks Communtity website for help.

Thanks for the compliment, but I could never fit in the man's shoes.