Customer Reviews for QuickBooks Pro 2006 [OLD VERSION]

QuickBooks Pro 2006 [OLD VERSION]
by Intuit, Inc.

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Software Reviews of QuickBooks Pro 2006 [OLD VERSION]

Customer Review: A good upgrade
Summary: 4 Stars

I was a long time user of QuickBooks 2004, I decided to upgrade to get some of the latest features. And I would have to say I am 100% satisfied. The upgrade process went without problem. The software is much easier to use, the new navigation center make dealing with invoices 5 fold easier then it used to be. Over all I am very satisfied with this software. The only thing about it is it starts up a little slow, but no slower then the older versions that I can tell.

Customer Review: Not a real accounting program.
Summary: 2 Stars

I'm a sole practitioner CPA and maintain about 20 separate sets of clients' books in my office. Since both Intuit and Sage (Peachtree By Sage Complete Accounting 2007) have "professional advisors programs" which aggressively solicit CPAs to shill for their software, I should also state that I'm in no way affiliated with either of them, nor any other software company (the fact that it's necessary for me to mention this demonstrates where the accounting profession is headed, but that's another story).

I realize that I'm swimming upstream here, but I truly despise QuickBooks. My clients who use it routinely bring me sets of books which they have messed up so badly that I generate hefty fees by unraveling their errors. The reason, I believe, is that QuickBooks is not a legitimate double-entry self-balancing accounting package. I strongly suspect that it's merely a dressed-up, aggressively marketed version of Intuit's checkbook program, Quicken. Because of this, it's far too easy to make serious errors which the software itself will not detect. A few examples:

A single click will convert your books from cash basis to a sort of quasi-accrual basis. A client once brought me his books which had a cash-basis balance sheet, an accrual-basis P&L, journals and ledgers which were some of both - and he had no idea why nothing balanced (and if you don't know what I'm talking about here, that's all the more reason to avoid this software).

Another issue is that no QuickBooks accounting period is ever really closed. This "feature" allows my clients, many of whom don't really know what they're doing, access to prior years' files, all the way back, in order to "fix things." Consequently I constantly must check to be sure that prior years' balances, for which tax returns have already been filed, haven't been altered. This lack of program control over prior years' data is an inexcusable security defect.

Out-of-balance conditions are often forced to an account called "Opening Balance Equity," an account which frequently has entries appearing from nowhere. It's simply a program-generated force-balanced "plug," which is unidentified and untraceable. Beware the OBE account!!

Both Intuit and Sage have terrible tech and customer support. Both companies gouge their customer bases unmercifully by means of expensive annual payroll updates and discontinuance of support for older versions of their software. Nevertheless, I do my best to steer my clients toward Peachtree. It's by no means a perfect solution, but it's at least a "real" double-entry system, and therefore more idiot-proof, more powerful, and generally bug-free. The learning curves of the two programs are now roughly equal, since Peachtree has added an optional interface for non-accountants.

Finally, I'm not bashing the company, just this product. I've been using Intuit's professional tax return preparation software (ProSeries) for many years, and I'm entirely happy with it. But my bottom-line professional opinion in this case is that QuickBooks is simply not what it claims to be. Use Peachtree (Peachtree By Sage Complete Accounting 2007), use MYOB, use the new Microsoft package - any of which are preferable to this over-hyped and under-powered dog of an accounting program. I keep a recent version of QuickBooks on my computer ONLY as an accommodation to my clients who refuse to switch.

I originally reviewed QuickBooks 2001. As far as I can see, six years have changed nothing significant regarding QuickBooks Pro. One can hope the new upscale versions are better; me, I'm not going there unless forced to by recalcitrant clients.

Customer Review: Excellent software that's easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars

I heard many different accounts of how this software would be too slow and too hard to use, but it isn't. From the moment I installed QuickBooks Pro it was very easy to navigate and I actually set up my buisness in a little under one hour; invoices and all. I highly recommend QuickBooks Pro.

Customer Review: Improving but not a trend setter
Summary: 2 Stars

I have used many accounting software but most convinient and easy is TALLY from India. Many of the arguments in QuickBooks are not accounts oriented and merging of complicated journals are not allowed. I think ther are lots of scope for improvements.