The end of the accounting search
1–10 of 208 posts
Re: The end of the accounting search
#2I'm somewhat surprised that GNUCash was picked over Ledger or another of the plaintext systems out there:
https://plaintextaccounting.org
Maybe this was primarily done based on the users being comfortable with a GUI driven system?
Re: The end of the accounting search
#3I'm somewhat surprised that GNUCash was picked over Ledger or another of the plaintext systems out there: https://plaintextaccounting.org Maybe this was primarily done based on the users being comfortable with a GUI driven system?
At the other end, there are a number of accounting systems that are based on plain-text files and an associated set of programs. These systems are much easier to work with [than the non-GnuCash GUI tools evaluated] and are adaptable to most needs. Such a system could have been made to work for LWN, but they tend to lack some useful features. Check writing and report generation, for example, tend not to be well supported. The user interface for many operations is a text editor; this is often seen as an advantage, but it becomes less so as the number of transactions grows. There are advantages to a graphical interface designed for the job at hand.
Re: The end of the accounting search
#4I am strongly considering a switch to GnuCash, but not for the reasons in TFA.
>Crashes were frequent; QuickBooks users know to make backups every few minutes to avoid losing work.[...] More recently, Intuit has discontinued support for the desktop version entirely in an effort to force all users to its online, paid-by-the-month service.
Both of these statements are not true, based on both my professional and personal use of Quickbooks desktop for over 15 years. QB uses transaction logging[0] so that transactions are not lost, even after for example a power outage. And the desktop versions are still available, but no longer with a perpetual one-time license, but rather $800 annual subscription for the Accountant's version. (This is a doubling in price over just the last few years).
So, I will be able to use my 2022 desktop version into the future at no extra cost, however some of the internet-based services (receiving payments, for example) will no longer be supported after 3 years.
I have installed and started to migrate to GnuCash because I am not going to pay $800/yr to Intuit, especially when less and less of my use is for professional purposes.
Re: The end of the accounting search
#5I'm a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and have been one for over 20 years and the last few years has convinced me that Intuit is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by:
1) Forcing all their customers to migrate to the online version of their program. Many of the clients I've spoken to were happy with and preferred the Desktop version. The Desktop version is faster and can do more than the online version.
2) Throwing major updates at the online version that hides or moves functionality. I work with multiple clients and based on the client their version of QuickBooks can be very different from another's. Even the same client that has multiple businesses and has to use multiple subscriptions could have a different look. I don't know what drives this at Intuit but it's confusing for me and I'm supposed to be the expert.
3) Relentlessly raise prices. Intuit has been annually raising their prices in what appears to be an attempt to eventually price everyone out of their product. Some clients have to pay 200.00 a month for the advanced version for one feature they need to have for their business! The attitude from Intuit feels like "So where else are you going to go?"
For most of my adult life I've worked as an accountant that works mainly with QuickBooks but I'm worried that I'm going to have to try to find a new way of supporting myself because Intuit appears to be demonstrating by their recent decisions that they don't need to show loyalty to customers or even keep customers. If they can have a few stay on to pay ridiculous subscription fees that's all they need.
Re: The end of the accounting search
#6It's not true that Intuit discontinued support for the desktop version. Where did they get that idea? It's a subscription, yes, but the desktop version is alive and well. I WISH they would kill it so I could force my own users to upgrade to the online edition but no, it hasn't happened yet. We just upgraded to QuickBooks Desktop 2023.
Re: The end of the accounting search
#7I'm a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and have been one for over 20 years and the last few years has convinced me that Intuit is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by: 1) Forcing all their customers to migrate to the online version of their program. Many of the clients I've spoken to were happy with and preferred the Desktop version. The Desktop version is faster and can do more than the online version. 2)…
Why would people not go to Gnucash or Fresh books?
Re: The end of the accounting search
#8FYI, I recently updated scripts and documentation for migrating from QuickBooks to GNUCash : https://github.com/erikmack/qb-escape
Would love if someone tried to package it into a standalone migration tool, so non-technical folks could make use of it!
Re: The end of the accounting search
#9I'm a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and have been one for over 20 years and the last few years has convinced me that Intuit is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by: 1) Forcing all their customers to migrate to the online version of their program. Many of the clients I've spoken to were happy with and preferred the Desktop version. The Desktop version is faster and can do more than the online version. 2)…
Why would people not go to Gnucash or Fresh books?
They are just not as good as QuickBooks and not many accountants are familiar with these other packages. The prices keep increasing but the QuickBooks online functionality is the best out there and it is the platform with which most other tools make sure to integrate.
Re: The end of the accounting search
#10I'm a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and have been one for over 20 years and the last few years has convinced me that Intuit is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by: 1) Forcing all their customers to migrate to the online version of their program. Many of the clients I've spoken to were happy with and preferred the Desktop version. The Desktop version is faster and can do more than the online version. 2)…
Why would people not go to Gnucash or Fresh books?
Quickbooks is currently a necessary evil for me. I have to use it, because that is what my bookkeepers and accountants use.
If you want to change either your bookkeeper or your accountant, your new bookkeeper and accountant know how to use it.
Every time I have to open up QB, I cringe. Painful!
Agree with the points above about updates and $$$ increases. The worse!