Upgrade Paths

[da]

Grumble. I had hoped that getting a mac would make everything easier.

I want an accounting program for Mac that will download transactions from my Canadian bank. I have accounts for my small-business and personal accounts going back to 1997, in Quicken format.

Options:

• Buy Quicken Home and Business for US, Windows version, under an emulator such as Parallels. I've not investigated this thoroughly; I've gone this route with Quicken and Linux and it wasn't much fun.
  
  
• There is no current Quicken for Mac, Canada Version. There is for last year's version (2006, I suppose like cars), but that stopped being sold three weeks ago. My understanding is that stores don't carry it. Perhaps I could find it somewhere. I'm not inclined to, though, since it's been discontinued.
  
  
• Buy Quicken for Mac, US version. Theoretically, there is some Canada support. But not enough that Quicken's list of supported banks includes any in Canada. Also, support for importing from an old version of Windows Quicken is terrible. Also, I understand that new versions of Quicken ('06 on) won't import .QIF files, so there is no migration path back to Quicken if you migrate away. I do not want to support that kind of non-support.
  
  
• Flee the annoyance that is Intuit software and buy moneydance. It supports import from .QIF, it's written in Java and supports win/mac/linux. It doesn't support Canadian institutions either. Possibly, I could import QIF files. For that matter, I could write a plugin myself, since it's got a Python interpreter.
  
  
• Stop the race, get off, and balance my checkbook on paper. Hm. Looking more appealing, at least at the moment.
  
  

Grr.

[edit, oct. 15, 2006: added tag for mydreamapp, since that's where this discussion took me.]

Comments

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

Well, I can tell you that I'm using Quicken H&B US version to deal with all my Canadian banking. It's not perfect, but it works. As long as your institution allows downloading of files in QIF, you're fine. I know for sure that TD, RBC, and PC Financial all allow that. Beyond that, you're on your own :)

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I might do that; stick with the software I already own. Better the devil you know...

Hell, I could write a little script to automatically d/l the .QIF transactions each month, so I don't have to remember to do so myself.

[chezmax]

That's strange, because 2007 isn't out yet.

(I'm currently beta testing the windows version)

Then again, each version just adds more features to the last, it's not like using one that's a model old is a problem. I would try contacting intuit, and see what they suggest.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

For whatever odd reason, they number windows and mac versions differently... mac 2007 came out this month.

[chezmax]

Actually, I just finished the beta for Quicken 2007 Canada for Windows.

Perhaps both versions aren't available yet, but will be soon?

[catbear.livejournal.com]

Intuit, to put it nicely, are vermin. They constantly release minor upgrades every year to software that doesn't need any changes at all (since when does double entry bookkeeping need an upgrade?), and "sunset" the old versions so they start failing as the years go by. The .QIF sunset was the last straw for me -- it's obvious they have no concern for their end users, they just want that yearly "pop."

I think tax software is probably a good model for yearly upgrades, because the laws do change.

But accounting software? Be serious. Give me an old guy with a dirty index finger and a green bill cap.... like Quicken 1998. Before the INTERNETS were invented.

[(Anonymous)]

I suggest you just move to the US (and use an American bank). I suggest moving to Tampa. ;-)

Tom D.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

...isn't that your answer for everything? ;)

There's this problem. Tampa is very warm.

[earthling177.livejournal.com]

Well, from what people say in websites like Macintouch.com and MacFixIt.com, Intuit is very strange -- they sell "support" for automatic downloading to the banks, so if the banks want to support clients with Macs, they have to pay extra. And for some time, they'd let clients download the files (.qif) and import into quicken, but apparently that is not working so well for many people.

So, I dunno what to tell you. I *can* tell you that I have never used Quicken... I figure if I carefully look at the statement they send me every month and make sure all the transactions make sense, I'm set -- I can't imagine that the bank's computer will print the transaction name, address and value correctly and then screw up the easiest part for computers, which is the arithmetic. Well, actually, I can, database programmers being people too. But I just trust that the balance is right as long as it makes sense. I refuse to re-do the calculations at home by hand, calculator or even personal computer -- that's their job, it's what we pay them for. I worry about other stuff, since we all have to worry about something in life. ;-)

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Indeed. ;)