QB update

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ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
We were notified that our version of QB Enterprise will no longer be supported after May. I didn’t buy the last yearly update service because it was cheaper to wait. They have you by the privates now. Only subscriptions are sold with yearly payments. You have a choice of included options, but shucky darn that bites.

Is all software now subscription?
 
ptonsparky said:
We were notified that our version of QB Enterprise will no longer be supported after May. I didn’t buy the last yearly update service because it was cheaper to wait. They have you by the privates now. Only subscriptions are sold with yearly payments. You have a choice of included options, but shucky darn that bites.

Is all software now subscription?
Click to expand...
Is turning into that for many different kinds of software.

Some good is that with more mobile devices these days you aren't as limited to just one device like you used to be, data is in the cloud and you can access it from almost any device. An app may be needed but may be free, the subscription service is what you pay for.

you are always up to date as far as what is the latest, as your subscription includes any product updates. The old way was to purchase and install new software periodically with only minor updates and bug fixes being available for the product.

Bad news is it usually cost more then what old method cost. They may let you make monthly, annual or semi annual payments on the subcription but if you were replacing old software every couple years this method will often cost more then the old did over that same time period.
 
Yeah, they tell you that every year. We are still using QB 2013 and it works fine. As long as you don't use the payroll module, because the tax data has to be updated by them periodically.

-Hal
 
kwired said:
Is turning into that for many different kinds of software.

Some good is that with more mobile devices these days you aren't as limited to just one device like you used to be, data is in the cloud and you can access it from almost any device. An app may be needed but may be free, the subscription service is what you pay for.

you are always up to date as far as what is the latest, as your subscription includes any product updates. The old way was to purchase and install new software periodically with only minor updates and bug fixes being available for the product.

Bad news is it usually cost more then what old method cost. They may let you make monthly, annual or semi annual payments on the subcription but if you were replacing old software every couple years this method will often cost more then the old did over that same time period.
Click to expand...

My concern with always having the latest and greatest version is that sometimes the latest version ain't so great. I like to let some of the other penguins jump in and check for sea lions before I take the plunge.

On cost, one software that probably comes out cheaper, assuming you keep up with the versions, is AutoCAD. It's $1,470 per year, or if you want monthly, $185. So, a three-year subscription would be $4,140 which would be less than if you had bought a full version for $4,995 plus two updates, since they seem to update every year now. In addition, the monthly nut is easier to handle than the up-front price shock.
 
gadfly56 said:
My concern with always having the latest and greatest version is that sometimes the latest version ain't so great. I like to let some of the other penguins jump in and check for sea lions before I take the plunge.

On cost, one software that probably comes out cheaper, assuming you keep up with the versions, is AutoCAD. It's $1,470 per year, or if you want monthly, $185. So, a three-year subscription would be $4,140 which would be less than if you had bought a full version for $4,995 plus two updates, since they seem to update every year now. In addition, the monthly nut is easier to handle than the up-front price shock.
Click to expand...

I know I looked into Quickbooks at one time, probably been a year or two ago. I am still running QB 2007 BTW, works fine if you aren't using any of their extra services. I figured it was significantly more to use the subscription service then to purchase and install a desktop version. But the desktop versions were likely a little more like my old 2007, all the newest bells and whistles are not in that version or are somewhat limited.

To do the basics of accounting on a single PC a 1999 version is probably still sufficient, and likely would still run on newer operating system. To use mobile conveniences, you need one of the latest products they have to offer.
 
ptonsparky said:
... the online backup that has saved our posterior in the past.
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You don't need the online backup to save your posterior. Just get into the habit of backing up every day or every time you close the application. Back it up to a thumb drive; but QB issued an advisory a few years ago to not back up directly to the thumb drive because "QB doesn't always like to write to removable drives". So they advised backing up to a folder on your hard drive, then copying that to your thumb drive. Saved my posterior one time when QB got corrupted. Just restore from the removable drive and in a few minutes you're back and running. Do the same thing when installing a new version of QB on another machine.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
You don't need the online backup to save your posterior. Just get into the habit of backing up every day or every time you close the application. Back it up to a thumb drive; but QB issued an advisory a few years ago to not back up directly to the thumb drive because "QB doesn't always like to write to removable drives". So they advised backing up to a folder on your hard drive, then copying that to your thumb drive. Saved my posterior one time when QB got corrupted. Just restore from the removable drive and in a few minutes you're back and running. Do the same thing when installing a new version of QB on another machine.

-Hal
Click to expand...
Regardless of what you are using, I think at the very least you need to make pretty frequent backups on local drive - if anything just to save you should there be a software corruption of some sort.

You also should make periodic backups to either a removable drive or to a remote location, be it remote on your own network or 'the cloud'. This remote backup is important for in case you should have your computer/office destroyed by fire, flood, tornado, etc, but backups to the mentioned removable drive can also be destroyed in such an incident therefore those need to be stored away from the office.

How often should you backup to some remote location all depends on how much data you typically create and over how much time you create it, and how much time you are willing to spend trying to re-create anything that gets lost before being backed up.

Some of this kind of procedure might be changing though as a lot of stuff operates in the cloud anymore. I still believe even if your application operates in the cloud, you should have your own copies of data stored on your own media, but also back up copies in remote locations. How often should you update those is up to you and what you think you can afford to lose or try to restore.
 
I use an old 2004 copy of QB, because I don't use payroll, Basic accounting methods hasn't changed in years. And I own my data on my own media. Old school for sure.

I use separate data storage drives on every machine, store multiple copies across the network, then use a portable HDD for off site.

I find that using the QB backup function a waste of time. All it really does is compress all of the necessary files into one compressed file. Then if you need it, it then it needs to be un-compressed into the normal format, before use. I just copy the entire data folder in its uncompressed format. Then you can open the file directly form any machine on the network.

In reality a QBW file is not much different than a spreadsheet or a PDF file. I use a template and start a new file at the end of each fiscal year. If you want to look at something from years back, just open that years file. The more years worth of data you store in the same file, the slower things get. Especially the backup and restore part.

MTW
 
I am the treasurer of a small club. years ago I got some cheap version of QB for $49 to keep the books with. I never liked it much. I was used to peachtree from when I was treasurer of a much larger club.

However the cheap version of QB2005 was adequate for what I was doing.

Recently my old WinXP box started to die. It is still near death but holding on.

I ended up spending $230 of the clubs money to get a new version because QB told me the old version I had would not work in windows10 which is what my new computer runs on. I lost the CD anyway so I was pretty much out of luck.

I like this version of QB a lot better. It took me a while to get used to it but I really like it. It has a lot of ads for various add ons but over time I have gotten rid of them.

Personally for an actual business I might seriously consider the online version. It costs more over time but it has the ability to let you use it from anywhere and you don't have to worry about backing it up, or updating the software. Just pay your monthly fees.
 
Yep, the old versions are pretty clunky, my CPA laughs at me every time he comes.

But don't let them fool you, it will run fine on Win 10. Have installed many older versions on customer machines with 10.

If you have a real old copy like 1995 that is a 16 bit program then you might have a problem with Win 10

Oh too late. they already got your money, but your satisfied, so all is good.

MTW
 
Get the free accounting apps at:
www.waveapps.com
Unless you are a multi million dollar business operator you don't need the complexities of these Accounting Software that need renewal.

US operates under the GAAP ( Generally Accepted Accounting Principles )as opposed to the international IFRS. ( International Financial Reporting Standards)
Slight difference between the two methods but US standard is more thorough in terms of inventory accounting.

This is one of the subjects in CA Contractor license exam.
 
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