joanmcq Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 I’ve been using QB the last few years, but pretty much refuse to pay $650 for a year’s subscription or $30/mo per company for QBO. I also don’t like any of my info being ‘in the cloud’. I have 2 businesses: my tax biz and 3 rental properties. The rental properties have assets & contraassets, income & expenses. The tax biz has income & expenses. I do like to be able to book a sale as it happens and record the income as it comes in. Nothing complicated at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for me? QB shut me out of a client’s copy I was using in March and when I called today wasn’t very happy with the results. I guess I would go online with Xero or something like it if it was cheap enough. Quote
PapaJoe Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 Check out Medlin Software. Dennis is a frequent poster on here. 1 Quote
Randall Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 I'm paying out the whaa zoo for QB. I guess I'll keep paying for a few more years, then it's over for me. Quote
Lee B Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 11 minutes ago, PapaJoe said: Check out Medlin Software. Dennis is a frequent poster on here. I agree, I have done in depth reviews of Medlin in the past and it should do everything you need. I need some bells and whistles for my larger business clients which Medlin won't do so I don't use it. Also you might look at "myob" 1 Quote
BulldogTom Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 7 hours ago, joanmcq said: I’ve been using QB the last few years, but pretty much refuse to pay $650 for a year’s subscription or $30/mo per company for QBO. I also don’t like any of my info being ‘in the cloud’. I have 2 businesses: my tax biz and 3 rental properties. The rental properties have assets & contraassets, income & expenses. The tax biz has income & expenses. I do like to be able to book a sale as it happens and record the income as it comes in. Nothing complicated at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for me? QB shut me out of a client’s copy I was using in March and when I called today wasn’t very happy with the results. I guess I would go online with Xero or something like it if it was cheap enough. Are you doing any payroll? Do you need to convert all your historical data or could you do a JE at YE to bring over your balances and start from scratch? Tom Longview, TX Quote
Medlin Software, Dennis Posted June 13, 2024 Report Posted June 13, 2024 For some clarity. Information in the "cloud" is not any better or worse because of the location. Actually, it is a good thing to have a secure backup of your data online, in a few places - for the day then your machine fails or walks away, or worse yet, when a computer "tech" messes it up while "fixing" it. It is a rare and likely extinct person who manages local backups properly, such as making rotation sets, both for at the desk, and moved and rotated to a couple of secure alternate locations. I am one of those who no longer manages local backups as a proper only method, as I work at home, and my former office was too close to be out of the same natural disaster area. One of the server locations I use is a very secure facility with restricted access, armed guards, etc. It is not uncommon and is actually expected for major server farms. It is also at a specific place where many different major fiber carriers intersect (and a good tech population to draw employees from). I cannot remember any offline issues for more than a few minutes (while they swap to a reserve connection or something). They have multiple days of power self generation at the ready at all times. There is at least one local fiefdom which set a rule that all records and data must remain within the boundaries of their fiefdom, but I doubt anyone follows that rule. On the other hand, if your only working data is online, and it is for accounting and/or payroll, I have yet to see one which would satisfy me. Why? 24/7 access is impossible to guarantee, and outages happen at least once a year, sometimes for 24 hours or more. I am a firm believer there is no such thing as an accounting emergency, so all should be able to handle such a payroll outage with either paper checks and a pen, or with cash. Even with local data, paper checks and cash access should be considered and planned for as a backup. The other issue with online is even I can type faster than online data can keep up. I am sure online providers use tricks like caching and such, but those don't fly for me. I actually deal with this when I am lounging in our hot tub, over my own connection, let alone a remote connection of some sort. I am of the belief when I hit a key, it should be saved, period. Computers are well fast enough to do so. Online cannot keep instantly updated, so they often work like the old days, where you have to click something to trigger a save then wait. (A few still ask me where our save button is, or how to save the data before they close the software.) There is also a significant cost to offer live online storage, there is a charge for bytes up and down, as well as storage size, redundancy, etc. Server space and pipes are not free. What do I think is ideal (and what we will eventually release in the next 12 months or so)? Hybrid. data stored securely online, downloaded to the device for use, then uploaded securely for storage. Also with a local copy, securely stored, which can be used if online access is not possible. For those who what to change any software to something else, one cannot only look at the price itself, there will be a learning curve, extra uncompensated time spent learning/moving/adjusting, as well as keeping the current system in place for some time period for safety. I don't know what the magic number of cost % is, but it should not be ignored. Thus a comment like sticking with X for another 2 years until retirement is a very wise decision. 1 Quote
joanmcq Posted June 13, 2024 Author Report Posted June 13, 2024 I’ve got my historical data in paper and PDF form, so I can start with Dec. 31 numbers if I need to. My payroll is through Medlin, so don’t need it in the accounting software. Dennis, do you have a trial copy I could look at? Quote
BulldogTom Posted June 14, 2024 Report Posted June 14, 2024 I have QB Desktop Pro 2003. I have the CD (which means I need an external CD ROM drive to load it). When I bought the software, Intuit support gave me the install and registration codes. I kept the license agreement from when I bought it that says I can load it onto every computer I own. I never update it. The software is the same as the day I broke the seal on the case. Before I load it on a new computer, I turn off the internet connection because the first thing the program does is go out and look for updates. I turn off the automatic updates and then turn the internet back on. Since I don't use it for payroll, I have no need to update it. The software is bulletproof so I never need support. I feel like I got one over on Intuit, and it makes me smile... Tom Longview, TX 5 Quote
Lee B Posted June 14, 2024 Report Posted June 14, 2024 16 hours ago, joanmcq said: I’ve got my historical data in paper and PDF form, so I can start with Dec. 31 numbers if I need to. My payroll is through Medlin, so don’t need it in the accounting software. Dennis, do you have a trial copy I could look at? Joan, Here is a link to Medlin's Accounting Software: https://medlin.com/accounting-software.html He has everything explained along sample reports. Quote
Margaret CPA in OH Posted June 14, 2024 Report Posted June 14, 2024 "I have QB Desktop Pro 2003." Sometimes (great) minds think alike. My QB Desktop Pro is 2019 and going strong. I also do not use payroll and no longer update. It still works just fine! 2 Quote
mcb39 Posted June 14, 2024 Report Posted June 14, 2024 I use Quicken 10 for several clients who do not have payroll. I have the disk and it just works and works without any problems. 3 Quote
mcb39 Posted June 16, 2024 Report Posted June 16, 2024 On 6/14/2024 at 5:55 PM, mcb39 said: I use Quicken 10 for several clients who do not have payroll. I have the disk and it just works and works without any problems. After Quicken 10, you have to subscribe and update each year. Honestly, I have had 6, 7 and 10 and they all work equally well. At least 10 is compatible with Win 11. Have done bookkeeping on Quicken for 30 years. You can still get the disk for 10 if you want to pay the price. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.