Battle plan

Entrepreneur, Jan, 1997 by Cassandra Cavanah

What makes this program stand out the most, however, is its support of multiple users. Peachtree Complete is fully network-ready, which means different sections of your books can be worked on by different users.

Although this program is great, I have a big nit to pick: It doesn't import files from common accounting programs. That means if you're a QuickBooks user, you'll have a difficult time switching over.

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We were fortunate to get our hands on an early copy of Intuit's new QuickBooks 5.0, which boasts an amazing number of upgrades, including improvements to a navigation system that was already superior to the competition.

The QuickBooks Navigator is a graphical interface designed to help inexperienced users easily find their way around. The Navigator puts QuickBooks' functions into easy-to-follow icons. For example, from the Sales and Customer icon, a diagram leads you through doing an estimate, writing an invoice, receiving a payment and making a deposit. Experienced QuickBooks users will appreciate the new menu buttons that make it easy to complete tasks without leaving certain areas.

Intuit has also improved Quick-Books forms by including a layout designer that lets you create more polished invoices and statements.

If your company has numerous inactive customers or inventory items, you can put them on an inactive list to hide them and then easily reactivate them if necessary.

If you spend a lot of time paying bills each month - printing checks, signing them, mailing them - you'll appreciate QuickBooks 5.0's online payment feature, a function all banks support. Additionally, many users will be able to take advantage of online banking, which lets you view your actual bank accounts and even transfer money from within QuickBooks.

If you already use QuickBooks for Windows, your old data will automatically import into version 5.0; if you use another accounting program, however, data importing won't be so easy. I could find import functions only for Quicken and QuickBooks DOS.

If you're just starting out with computerized accounting or are already a QuickBooks user, QuickBooks 5.0 is my recommendation. If a multiuser platform is important to you, however, Peachtree is certainly a viable product. (Unfortunately, importing data into Peachtree is no easy task.) As for DacEasy, it has become much more user-friendly, but it still has a way to go.

REPORT CARD

4: EXCELLENT 3: GOOD 2: FAIR 1: POOR

3.5 QUICKBOOKS 5.0 INTUIT CORP. LIST PRICE: $99

Pluses: Easy to navigate, customizable, robust features Minuses: Doesn't import from other major accounting programs

3 PEACHTREE COMPLETE ACCOUNTING FOR WINDOWS PEACHTREE SOFTWARE STREET PRICE: $199.99

Pluses: Great interface, easy to navigate, supports multiple users Minuses: Doesn't import from other major accounting programs

2.5 ACCOUNTING & PAYROLL 95 DACEASY INC. LIST PRICE: $149.95

Pluses: Easy company setup Minuses: Difficult interface, too much accounting jargon

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