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Ylva

Ylva

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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My computer, with an old version of QB Pro, crashed two weeks ago. Ordered new computer, then tried to order the software. I was not aware that the 2021 version is the last version without subscription.
Of course, 2021 sells for enormous amounts
I found a 2022 version, with a disk.

I downloaded it to my computer, wired a printer to the desktop computer and shut off wifi.

I do get 'warnings' to turn my wifi back on or I will lose access to my company files.

I am not a techie, but, how would they be able to do that? Wouldn't they need to have access, through wifi, in order to do that?

I do manual backups to a few different thumb drives. QB is working perfectly, actually faster without wifi.
I don't need their enhanced services. I just need to do entries and send the files (on thumb drive) to my accountant.

I don't want to use some other program, as my accountant is QB only. And no, I am not going to change accountants either.
I like QB, I don't like the subscription only option, which would mean I have to upgrade my QB every year.

My previous QB was 2009 Pro (yup, that old).
 
Photoshop is subscription-only now too. I just use Photoshop Elements, but I don't think they make one that runs on my newer Mac. However, I found an app called Pixelmator Pro that does. It can do what I need to do to tweak photos of frame jobs for posting, but its interface is much clunkier that PS Elements. On the positive side, it was only $29. I have my previous Mac on my office desk now, so I can still use Elements on that.
:popc: Rick
 
JFeig said:
you can get a 2021 version on Ebay.
Click to expand...
Search for it.
There is a Canadian version, older versions and the 2020 version which goes for over $1400

QB has announced that even if you have the 2021 version, it will be subscription only. The only true without subscription is the 2020
 
If that's all your using QB for, then why not just use the basic cloud version? It's only, like, $30/month or so.
 
Which is about what the annual subscription will be, if I shop around.

I did a trial of the basic cloud version and didn't like it at all.
It is the subscription part that makes me mad, as I don't need all the bells and whistles.
 
Unfortunately, Intuit wants all accounts on monthly cloud base subscriptions.
Basic QB Cloud (yes it is a bit of a pain, but like you I don't want to change to another system) is currently $50/month after the honeymoon is over. You can get signup subscriptions in the $30.00 range but they time out in 3-6 months. I signed up at $32.00/month a few years back (20% discount for 6 months) then it went to $40, and last year sometime they said, "We're gong to raise our prices 25%, because we can".
I preferred the original to the cloud, and updated it about every 3-4 years.
 
I'm paying about $35/mo for quickbooks self employed. I'm still getting used to it, but its nice in that it pulls all of my banking transactions into one place. No manual uploads necessary. Don't even need to categorize much after you set rules on repeat expenses. I never got to experience the old Quickbooks, but I did see that Specialty Soft supposedly could export right to it. That doesn't seem possible with the newer versions, or at least I haven't figured it out. Oh well, so it doesn't track my individual sales, but at least it pulls income by tracking all of the deposits to the business account. Still gonna make the next tax season really easy.
 
Yes, I had seen the pricing as well. QB also has announced a price increase for 2023
My annual subscription would be around $600 and it will be the desktop version that I like.

I don't want all the extras. My question is not about which QB version to choose. I just bought the 2022 version.

My question is, how can they block your account, when you have the desktop version on your computer and you turned the wifi off.
 
wpfay said:
"We're gong to raise our prices 25%, because we can".
Click to expand...
I am stuck due to using Turbotax.
I started with Quickbooks well over 20 years ago and remember that in 2003 they started charging for the payroll module. Just another greedy Big Tech company that few of us can not do without.
 
cvm said:
If that's all your using QB for, then why not just use the basic cloud version? It's only, like, $30/month or so.
Click to expand...
their cloud version is different than the desktop version. I've used both, I returned to the desktop only. My desktop is still working, but they no longet support its version (even if it a 2020 version). I can no longer download bank statements for example. Just need to backup more "just in case they shut it down"
 
My accountant and several people in his office, also hate the cloud version. I like the desktop version, I ran a trial with the cloud version (not now, a while back, so maybe things have changed) and didn't like it at all. I backup daily to a drive.
 
I use several industry specific applications in my other job. When Windows 10 was released, I figured these would be the ones most likely to have a conflict. Instead the ONLY application that refused to run under Windows 10 was Quickbooks. Of course Intuit was happy to offer me an upgrade ... at a price. There is no question in my mind that Quickbooks had embedded a software switch in an earlier update to my earlier version that prevented the earlier version from running under Windows 10. Going to all subscription will be the last straw.
 
Dirk, The real problem is that there is not comparable alternative our there at a similar price. I have used QB for over 20 years and they do not care about their loyal customer base. I will loose some of my data as a result of switching to the on-line version this month. What do you think?
 
Like Jerome, I have used QB for a very long time, definitely over 20 years.
I like having the desktop version. Switching off wifi didn't help as I will be just locked out of my account (even though I paid for a full year)

I tried to restore my 2009 version, but that didn't work for me. Plus my accountant wouldn't be happy as it is harder to open such an old version on their computers.

So I am stuck. Paying an annual amount that is completely unnecessary.
It is what happens when you really own the whole market.

Shame on QB, not that they care.
 
I have had QB desktop for 6-7 years and don't like it. We have an industrial strength ERP system for our main company and operations, but use QB for a half dozen very low transaction side companies (three of them generally only have two transactions a month). I constantly have problems with it, in addition to annoyances like, when I save a transaction it asks "This transaction has changed, do you want to save it?". Why do you think I pressed "save"?!!

The problem, as pointed out above, is that there is no good alternative. And by "good" I don't mean there aren't other programs out there that are better and cheaper, it's that they have somehow nearly created a monopoly. It's the MS Office syndrome all over again.
 
Like Jerome and Ylva, I've been a victim of Quickbooks for more than twenty years. It's not an accounting program, but that's fine because I'm not an accountant. I hire one of those to send my love letter to our Uncle every year. Quickbooks is a bookkeeping program as well as a sales platform for Intuit, the company that we sent money to for the software. I've used MAS 200 (the old Peachtree), for an employer who had his accountant do the initial setup. As an accounting program with all the audit trails and such, it was more cumbersome than Quickbooks, but it didn't continually try to sell us additional services.

Since I'm fully capable of multiplying a number by .062 and by .0145, I declined the Quickbooks offer of lightening my wallet by fifty bucks every month to run payroll for two or three part-time employees. Besides, the state of Washington has two additional payroll taxes that aren't supported by Quickbooks, so you would wind up doing that by hand, anyway. For several years, the spiral bound payroll ledgers worked fine until I built a rudimentary web app that ain't pretty but gets the job done.

One would think Intuit could hire a few people to polish the software. At the password dialog box, there's a blinking cursor that would lead one to believe it was ready to accept input from the keyboard. Not so. It's still necessary to grab the rodent and click. Somehow, it's more important to try to sell us blank checks. They might also provide a subtotal before sales tax on invoices. Half the time, after entering the password, the home screen does not appear. Instead, it's necessary to click on the icon at the bottom of the screen and you're rewarded with a miniature title bar that you then maximize and then turn off all the garbage that appears on the borders. This stuff isn't critical, but it's insulting to run into these amateurish glitches. As David pointed out, they have a near monopoly, so there's no incentive for them to produce a well-crafted product.

But at least the desktop version uses nomenclature suitable for bookkeeping. Not so the online version. Intuit decided to make the online version "friendly" enough that a trained ape could use it. Unfortunately, if you aren't a trained ape, you have to poke around to see what cutesy name Quickbooks online uses for basic bookkeeping functions. Thankfully, my brain has blocked the unpleasant memories of a short dalliance with Quickbooks online for a former employer, but I do remember it wasn't a happy experience, and I wasn't interested in another date.

Perhaps our accountant can recommend an alternative.
 
Dirk, It is in the skill and knowledge base of the user that might change the definition of what you call the program. An accounting or bookkeeping program?

It all depends on a very thin line of definitions. It has some features that would lead me to consider it an accounting program, such as handling the depreciation of assets and access to modify the chart of accounts via journal entries. I most often use journal entries for depreciation and allocating my purchases on my credit cards to the proper expense accounts or to my equity account for personnel use.

I do this via downloading my credit card statements to a spreadsheet in, comma delineated format, and separate the expenses by category.
 
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I already asked our accountant and their office only works with QB

There are a few free bookkeeping programs out there, but I wouldn't be able to import my QB information.

Like Dirk, I don't need it for anything else. I am very proficient in doing payroll (having worked for payroll company for 4 years) and keep up to date with all the new regulations that MA throws at us.

I just want the desktop version without any online anything stuff. It does not exist. I will do more research for when I need to renew my subscription, but have almost a year to do so.
 
JFeig said:
An accounting or bookkeeping program?
Click to expand...
Quickbooks allows users to delete transactions with nary a crumb of evidence that it once existed. Accounting software won't allow this in order that an audit trail is maintained for all activity. In a small business in which only one or two people use the bookkeeping/accounting software, it's a distinction without a difference. When multiple people use the software, the audit trail tends to discourage hanky-panky. That said, I delete stuff whenever an episode of cranial flatulence leads to flawed entries.

Ylva said:
free bookkeeping programs
Click to expand...
I don't mind paying for good software, but, like Aretha, I'd appreciate a little R E S P E C T after the purchase.
 
Yes, I have known of the lack of an audit trail regarding this situation since I started with QB. However, that is the only one that I have noticed. Just about everything else is documented. The deletion of a transaction will change the balances of the chart of accounts and will be caught with the reconciliation of accounts the can be done by you or an accountant as it used the double entry system of recording.
BTY, my first 10 years of employment out of school was as an internal operational auditor for 2 major fortune 100 retailers. Yes, I have caught my share of absconders including a VP of credit cards(regarding the transfer of bad debt accounts, a 7 figure activity).
 
I just imported my data from my desktop to the on-line version. I called for an appointment this morning, 3 hours ago, and received a call from the Philippines. It wasn't that hard to do; however, it was hard to understand the callers accent.
 
Hi Ylva-yes it is. Every so often i hit a snag, I call my computer guy, we call QB, we pay a fee, get an 'update link' and back in biz. I 'm probably the second most technically challenged person in the world so I pay to keep running and use that time for more productive things like playing Free Cell or popping in here and there.
I keep all my etsy records and all of our income rental properties records on QB. February, my tax guy comes over and prints out the reports needed and it seems to work just fine. If it ain't broke....
 
Ylva said:
Yes, I had seen the pricing as well. QB also has announced a price increase for 2023
My annual subscription would be around $600 and it will be the desktop version that I like.

I don't want all the extras. My question is not about which QB version to choose. I just bought the 2022 version.

My question is, how can they block your account, when you have the desktop version on your computer and you turned the wifi off.
Click to expand...
The program contacts quickbooks regularly through the month. If this contact does not happen, then the program locks until payment is made.
 
Thank you Vincenzo and you are absolutely correct. I did turn wifi on, but I also had to log into my QB account and update payment info. I did not have access to QB otherwise. I just updated the 2022 version to the 2023 version.

I will just have to accept that this is how things are for now. Not happy about the extra, unnecessary cost, but oh well.
 
I asked a friend who's been a bookkeeper for decades, and she said as long as we don't use it for payroll, we should be fine. (We don't, as Hubby built our own payroll program.) Any thoughts?
 
As long as you have a version that is before 2021, you should be okay to keep using that without subscription. 2020 was the last true desktop only version.

QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy

Here's what you need to know about QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation. This includes helpful info about how to move to QuickBooks Online.We notify you i
quickbooks.intuit.com quickbooks.intuit.com
 
This is one of those "death by 1000 cuts" issues. It DOES bug me, but I'd rather just pay the price than dealing with workarounds...
 
I agree David. It's just another $800 a year. It bugs me because I have no need to update it every year and I don't use all the features they are trying to push on me. I too have decided to just deal with it. I like QB itself, and I have been using it for 25 years so I am not to change that now.

I will shop around at other places, for the QB code by the end of the year and hope it will be a little less expensive.
 
Just got my notice and didn't remember it being that big a number. Really hate paying so much for such an inferior product with virtually no support. The only real support is from the hundreds of thousands of users that you can get by doing a Google search.

We have an enterprise level ERP system for our main company. Paid, in today's dollars, maybe $5,000, 20 years ago for the program. We now pay $1500/year for really good one-on-one support - my point of contact is the owner of the company. I sent a question today (SUNDAY) at 1:03pm and had a response at 1:36pm...

Grin and bear it, I guess.
 
Rick Granick said:
Photoshop is subscription-only now too. I just use Photoshop Elements, but I don't think they make one that runs on my newer Mac. However, I found an app called Pixelmator Pro that does. It can do what I need to do to tweak photos of frame jobs for posting, but its interface is much clunkier that PS Elements. On the positive side, it was only $29. I have my previous Mac on my office desk now, so I can still use Elements on that.
:popc: Rick
Click to expand...
You might enjoy Gimp (free download).
 
I also have a student version of photoshop Elements which I bought back when my computer was running Windows 7. I only ever make minor lighting tweaks on most of my photos and it handles that quickly and easily. Another paid editing programme I like is "In Pixio". It has an object removal tool which is almost magical. I just draw around the offending object, click "erase" and bye-bye.

In my humble opinion subscription based programmes are just money grabbing.
 
The software business is now a mature industry. Innovation has taken a back seat to discovering ways to mine more money from existing products from existing customers. We do save money by no longer needing to buy Where's Waldo books. Trying to find familiar commands in newer versions fully satisfies that desire.
 
Yup, it's always about the money. Plus there is no true competition for QB. No choice but to keep using a product that is good, but I simply don't need the latest updates all the time.
 
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