Pocket Quicken, Finally Out

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/ppc/' target='_blank'>http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/ppc/</a><br /><br /></div>It's finally here - Pocket Quicken for Pocket PC from LandWare! 8O<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/parekh/news/20030414-Landware-PocketQuicken.gif" /><br /><br />"Pocket Quicken places your financial activity at your fingertips making it easy to keep your Quicken information complete, accurate and up-to-date wherever you go. Effortless data entry coupled with instant access to account balances, transactions, credit limits, budgets and more adds up to financial clarity in the palm of your hand."<br /><br />In other news, pigs were seen flying outside. ;)

[cmchavez]

If this is true, then I want mine now! Been waiting for this for a long time on the Pocket PC... :twisted:

[ExtremeSIMS]

One of the things that keeps me looking at Palm OS is Mac syncing. If there was a way to sync this with PocketPC and my Powerbook running Quicken, I would have a joygasm.

Sigh - another punch in the head for running a Mac.

[Hugh Nano]

So, how does this compare with SPB Quick? Someone do a comparative review quickly, please!

[Duncan]

Sadly Quicken is pants (in comparison to Money anyway) - so a Pocket Quicken is not so very exciting. An improved Pocket Money would be worth celebrating... :(

[trachy]

Sadly Quicken is pants

Help me out here. What the heck is pants?

- Drew

[cmchavez]

Sadly Quicken is pants (in comparison to Money anyway) - so a Pocket Quicken is not so very exciting.

??? What dialect is this?

[trachy]

in comparison to Money anyway

Says who? I've been using Quicken for close to 10 years now, and have loved every minute of it. I read comparison reviews of Quicken and Money every time they simultaneously release a new version, and they're always neck and neck. I think it's just a matter of personal preference when it gets right down to it. My .02 worth.

- Drew

[Duncan]

??? What dialect is this?

English. REAL English that is! Pants = rubbish, poor etc.

[Duncan]

I think it's just a matter of personal preference when it gets right down to it.

Well of course! I was expressing an opinion. :)

[Jonathan1]

Your financial data is protected
Assigning your own private PIN number to Pocket Quicken ensures that only you have access to your financial activity.

PINs are all well and fine. What I NEED to know before I go near this software is, is the datafile encrypted? No financial software will touch the memory chips of my Pocket PC until I'm 100% certain that the data is secure.

[CESkins]

Clearly this software was meant to compare with Pocket Money as a PocPC add-on for Quicken users. Compared to Inesoft's Cash Organizer and Mastersoft's Money (PoQuick), it seems rather feature limited. :( Looks like it would be great for those Quicken users who just want to keep track of expenses using the PocPC and do the serious analysis on the desktop. A review comparing the various PocPC financial apps useful to QUicken users would be very helpful. :)

[dazz]

I suggest you take a look at HanDBase from DDH Software if you want encryption. I have a personal finance applet I have designed for HanDBase and it is encrypted each time I open and close the applet.

There are a bunch of applets in DDH's gallery for personal finance that are free once you buy HanDBase.

dazz
---------
In case you were wondering, I DO work for DDH Software.

[Jacob]

??? What dialect is this?

English. REAL English that is! Pants = rubbish, poor etc.

Darn it! No wonder people at the store gave me funny looks when I told them I wanted to buy some pants!

I am definitely gonna take an eval of this... not a huge fan of Money (Microsoft money at least :) )

[GadgetMan]

Well, here is my personal opinion...

I really honestly tried Microsoft Money a few times, even as recently as 2001 and have always walked away disgusted. What a piece if c...p compared to Quicken. No wonder Quicken is de facto standard for personal finances.

The same goes for Pocket Money. I still ocassionaly have nightmares remmebering all the problems I had trying to make this thing to sync properly with its desktop countertpart. Me and most of other users who tried it at one or other point in time.

So, having been burned so many times in the past, I decided to stay away from that sick puppy. Bettet to stick with the leader, especially that it works great for me and is rock solid (not a single mismatch in downloaded transaction, not a single crash or even a hickup).

And now, with rock solid and very profesionally done Pocket Quicken from LandWare (and I should know, as one of its beta testers) I am in financial software heaven.

But then, I wanted Pocket Quciken to be a mobile companion to my desktop Quicken. A software that will allow me to add transactions on the go, see historical data, view budget, etc., while automatically and seamlessly integrationg with desktop version. Here PQ shines!

Of course, if you want a standalone financial product (which probably means you are not using desktop Quciken as your primary financial tool), then you should look elsewhere.

If only LandWare could make this thing print real money... :D

Cheers,

[Kirkaiya]

Your financial data is protected
Assigning your own private PIN number to Pocket Quicken ensures that only you have access to your financial activity.

PINs are all well and fine. What I NEED to know before I go near this software is, is the datafile encrypted? No financial software will touch the memory chips of my Pocket PC until I'm 100% certain that the data is secure.

For me - it's not quite that important (not enuf to stop me from using this). I mean - I doubt I would enter the account number in any case, or even the bank name, probably just label it "Checking Account", and "Business Account", and put in the transactions..

If somebody stole my iPaq, and found out that (gasp!) I spent $28 on a haircut or something, more power to 'em!!

That being said, I think it would be *NICE to know it was encrypted. Ever since I bought FlexWallet when they had that $3 deal, I've used it more and more to store info like my Domain Registration login/passwords, credit-card account numbers, and so on.

So anywaze - i would like the data to be encrypted, but it's not a deal-breaker (for me - others of course have different needs)

[Reinaldo]

not a huge fan of Money (Microsoft money at least :) )

What do you mean? I love Microsoft's money. And they have a lot too. Maybe if you liked their money they would let you borrow it. :lol: :mrgreen:

I am not sure if I should be even talking considering that I am a student but I like Money. It works for me when it comes to expenses that I have to pay at school. I use both 2003 and the one in the Pocket PC. They work great.

[PetiteFlower]

I HATE Money, both the desktop version and the PPC version. Hate them passionately. Don't want them anywhere near either of my babies(desktop and PPC). Pocket Quicken isn't bad, it has a nice budgeting feature(though it doesn't sync with your desktop budget and it's a LOT simpler), but it doesn't have a Today screen plugin, which SPB Quick does, and I really liked. So I might end up going with that in the end. I haven't decided yet. Pocket Quicken does have some nice features though, some that SPB doesn't have, so it may be a better choice for some :)

[PPCRules]

I have to feel sorry for LandWare. I know they have been working forever on this, and even before they get it done, Intuit kicks their faithful customers in the head with the Turbo Tax copy protection blunder. Being a long-term (forever) Quicken user myself, I'm sure I'm joined by many who will be fleeing the company for other products, which have already had a PocketPC component. I know I won't be buying another Intuit product, and therefore will not need a companion product for it. (And, no, I have never pirated a copy of Turbo Tax nor allowed mine to be copied. And, yes, my old Turbo tax info imported into Tax Cut just fine. I hope the Quicken data converts just as well.)

Don't mean to turn this into a Turbo-tax discussion; just explaining why after years of looking forward to this product, I no longer need it.

[Bradskey]

??? What dialect is this?

English. REAL English that is! Pants = rubbish, poor etc.

One might say the same about Money, but that's just my opinion. I don't see the logic in calling a product that works well and correctly "rubbish". If you don't like it that's one thing. Rubbish would refer to something so broken, inoperable, problematic, whatever that it isn't worth marketing.

[andydempsey]

Pants and not worth the bread...

http://www.londonslang.com/

[Iznot Gold]

Bradskey...chill. Pants is an expression that is seeming to cause some trans-atlantic confusion...its a little expression that we have over here...don't take it to heart or we'll have to introduce to other phrases that don't transfer....like...minging!
:devilboy: Take care
David :D

[Duncan]

I don't see the logic in calling a product that works well and correctly "rubbish". If you don't like it that's one thing. Rubbish would refer to something so broken, inoperable, problematic, whatever that it isn't worth marketing.

I did say 'in comparison to Money' - plus - why do you assume I meant rubbish? I was saying Quicken is poor. Quicken is lacking in features that I have grown accustomed to in Money. Once it was superior but Money has outdone it for several years now. I haven't seen a comparative review that favoured Quicken for several years now...

[LandWare]

but it doesn't have a Today screen plugin

There were a few features that didn't quite make it into the 2.0 release which we intend to follow up with in a (free) 2.01 release including:

1. Built in Calculator
2. Global New menu support
3. Today Screen support - we would be interested in hearing from people about what sort of Pocket Quicken data they would like to see in the today screen.

Feel free to contact us via http://www.landware.com/support/email

[ricksfiona]

I gave Money 2003 a try and REALLY like it. I've been a Quicken User for about 7 years and the interface was getting seriously old.

When I upgraded a few years ago with Quicken, I lost features though I had the same level upgrade! I spoke with the Quicken people and they told me that I could get that feature back with some Quicken hacks. I could live without that feature.

Money 2003 makes things extremely simple and the interface is so much more elegant. When I downloaded Money for Pocket PC, I have reached close to the perfect PDA I thought I could reach.

Now that I have Trans/ACT! 2.0 which allows bi-directional synchronization, I'm seriously happy.

Now if only my IPAQ had more memory :(

[ctmagnus]

My $.02 on both Money and Quicken:

They both do the job, but Quicken is more of a power user's personal finance manager. Money is kinda Mickey Mouse in comparison, not nearly as easy to screw something up. That being said, I've noticed a lot of inconsistencies between Quicken's help and the actual program. So they both have their flaws. fwiw, I use Quicken XG on my desktop.

Pocket Quicken r0x0rs! (except for the nag screen in the unregistered version at startup :))

[jim s]

There were a few features that didn't quite make it into the 2.0 release which we intend to follow up with in a (free) 2.01 release including:



I think I will wait for the free version! :twisted:



3. Today Screen support - we would be interested in hearing from people about what sort of Pocket Quicken data they would like to see in the today screen.



I think having a user customizable Today Screen would be the best bet and would be anything but 'pants'. :lol:

[Busdriver]

In other news, pigs were seen flying outside

Huh????

[Jacob]

In other news, pigs were seen flying outside

Huh????

YOu obviously didn't see them. It was cool!!! :D

[Master O'Mayhem]

Is there a 10 day trial or something... i couldnt find one... nevermind i found it... heheh

[markan]

I spotted Inesoft's Cash Organiser get a mention, and for those of us that do prefer MS Money on the desktop Inesoft are real close to proper synchronisation between MS Money and Cash Organiser. I know that CO is expensive, but with the synchronisation it will be well worth it to me.

For what it's worth, I'm an ex-Quicken user as well and the thing that lost my business was customer support. In the UK you couldn't even mail support with bugs. At least with MS Money you have the MVPs to help.

I was thinking about trying Quicken again, but gave up when I saw that there was no way to import Money files, and don't even get me started on the XG pricing model.............

[GadgetMan]

I was thinking about trying Quicken again, but gave up when I saw that there was no way to import Money files, and don't even get me started on the XG pricing model.............

I must agree that XG pricing model is a highway robbery. Add to that Intuit's idiotic decision to discontiune support of Quicken 2001 - only TWO years old, for crying out loud - just to force people to upgrade to the new version, and I can see people moving away to competitive products in droves.

I have used Quicken since ver 2.0 and have been very satisified with the product, but if they continue with the current extortion policies my next version of personal financial software will definitively not be from Intuit.
Even if it means migrating to inferior MS Money product.

Cheers,

[Duncan]

Even if it means migrating to inferior MS Money product.

MS Money 2002 Standard has more features, better integration, better support and is more stable than Quicken 2002 - this I know because I road tested both and Quicken was a joke in comparison. I have no axe to grind, no product loyalty - just plain and simple observation. The same observation was backed up by EVERY comparison review I read of the two at the time.

Now - maybe the high powered versions are different. Maybe there Quicken scores over Money - but if anyone seriously thinks Money Standard is inferior to Quicken - I have to question whether they have actually seriously compared them! All through my use of Quicken 2002 I kept looking for features that were standard in Money 2001 - only to find they weren't there - some really obvious stuff as well... it was, to coin a phrase, a pile of cack...

[Jacob]

From what I understand Quicken 2003 has many improvements..

http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227836-1204-20218450.html?tag=pdtl-list

The above review stated: "In fact, Quicken's interface looks significantly cleaner than Money 2003's. All said, both apps do a stellar job of tracking your finances, but Money's superior service and support make it our Editors' Choice."

I do know this is not the versions you were comparing Duncan.. but thought the info was relevant on the current discussion :D

The CNET MS Money 2003 review is at:
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227836-1204-20108231.html?tag=pdtl-list

[Duncan]

Relevent yes. Each year though I check out the two to see which I want to go with and I've yet to see a review recommending Quicken over Money.

That said - there were compelling reasons to U/G from Money 2001 -> 2002 - but 2003 versions of both Money and Quicken seemed to offer nothing worth upgrading for...

I'd take the CNET review as support for my point of view - but I'm always reluctant to give CNET the credibility they don't deserve... :)

[ombu]

I spotted Inesoft's Cash Organiser get a mention, and for those of us that do prefer MS Money on the desktop Inesoft are real close to proper synchronisation between MS Money and Cash Organiser. I know that CO is expensive, but with the synchronisation it will be well worth it to me.


I agree, expensive, but it's really good.

Regards.

[iPaqDude]

Ok... my .03...

I was a die hard Quicken user for several years, and scoffed at those lowly individuals that would make do with something as inferior as MS Money. Unglamerous screens, slow transactions, no industry support, etc., etc. - I used it all.

Then I tried Money 2003 Pro. And bought it. And converted to it. And haven't looked back at Quicken since then. IMHO, it stands well above that of Quicken, and has features far richer than Quicken is even reaching for.

I am in the process of giving Pocket Money a try, and if I am satisfied that the security is there, will probably move over to it as well.

Again - my opinion....

[ktse35]

I was using quicken and landware on my palm before I switchover to the PocketPC. Left with no real option at the time (more than 2 years ago) of a good sync option between quicken and whatever third party software for the PocketPC.....I switched to Money, which gave away the PocketPC software($$$$$). Both products are very comparable with managing personal finances. It's like comparing Wordperfect and Word or Excel and 1-2-3, they all get the job done and like all software, it's really the learning curve that's the main issue and how fast you scale that hill.

Given that the two software are pretty much even, the cost of Quicken and PocketQuicken just does not make much financial sense.(IMHO)

[baker]

One of the things that keeps me looking at Palm OS is Mac syncing. If there was a way to sync this with PocketPC and my Powerbook running Quicken, I would have a joygasm.

Sigh - another punch in the head for running a Mac.

What am I missing?

http://www.landware.com/faq/result.asp?FAQ_ID=55

Save your noggin. :twak:

[organon]

One of the things that keeps me looking at Palm OS is Mac syncing. If there was a way to sync this with PocketPC and my Powerbook running Quicken, I would have a joygasm.

Sigh - another punch in the head for running a Mac.

What am I missing?



"Palm Desktop Software 2.0 or later"

[Brian726]

I was a beta tester for Pocket Quicken. I think it is an excellent product. I am using Quicken 2000 Deluxe and it syncs very nicely with Pocket Quicken. I tried SPB quick and found it lacking several areas (no offense to the fine operator of this web site!). Interface, synchronization, account balances all were lacking in SPB Quick. Pocket Quicken is clean, intuitive, synchronizes perfectly and is a useful tool on my PPC.

As far as the Money / Quicken argument goes, that really only becomes an issue if you feel the burning desire to upgrade. I tried Money and Pocket money, but found the interface clunky after spending several hours trying to get my account balances right after "conversion". That being said, I think the general opinion here is right - there isn't much difference between the two that can't be chalked up to personal preference.

I have to admit I am pretty happy with my setup now - all my credit cards download directly into Quicken, and in general they match up with the transaction I entered onto my PPC that has synchronized onto the desktop.

I recommend that if you use Quicken, you give Pocket Quicken a try. I believe you will find an outstanding tool.

[trachy]

One of the things that keeps me looking at Palm OS is Mac syncing. If there was a way to sync this with PocketPC and my Powerbook running Quicken, I would have a joygasm.

Sigh - another punch in the head for running a Mac.

What am I missing?



"Palm Desktop Software 2.0 or later"

It seems that Landware's Knowledge Database might be askew. The FAQ Baker references is for the PPC version of PQ; however, the main PQ page for PPC (http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/ppc/index.html) makes no mention of Mac compatibility.

IMHO, they could also have elminated some confusion by calling one Palm Quicken and the other Pocket Quicken. I guess they dubbed the Palm version 'Pocket' a few years ago before PPCs started becoming more popular.

I'm up to .04 worth of input now. :roll:

[vovillamor]

Landware has a demo version of PocketQuicken available to evaluate...but it seems that you need Quicken installed on your desktop before you can install PocketQuicken on your PocketPC.

I was a long time Quicken user before I got my PocketPC. I reluctantly switched to MS Money so that I could use it on my Jornada. I agree that any other financial program is better than MS Money on the PocketPC, but synchronization to a financial program on a desktop computer was important to me.


[/quote]

[LandWare]

Sigh - another punch in the head for running a Mac.

Sorry, It wasn't intentional. We are very pro Mac here. Pocket Quicken for the Palm was developed on a Mac and some of the Pocket PC ancillary material was put together on a 17" Powerbook.

At this stage however we are unable to provide support for synchronizing the Pocket PC version to a Macintosh. We only support that with the palm version.


It seems that Landware's Knowledge Database might be askew.


yes i apologize for this. Although alot of our PQ KB material can be applied to both platforms we are in the process of updating it to clarify issues such as yours.


IMHO, they could also have elminated some confusion by calling one Palm Quicken and the other Pocket Quicken. I guess they dubbed the Palm version 'Pocket' a few years ago before PPCs started becoming more popular.


Pocket Quicken is a licensed Intuit trademark which was created way back in the pre-newton days. It was important to maintain this brand within all the handheld products. Palm is also a registered trademark and cannot be used as a prefix in product names.

Hope this helps

[trachy]

Pocket Quicken is a licensed Intuit trademark which was created way back in the pre-newton days. It was important to maintain this brand within all the handheld products. Palm is also a registered trademark and cannot be used as a prefix in product names.

Good point - I hadn't thought of that. One of the golden rules of business is never to mess with one's brand name, logo, etc. Thanks for the feedback.

[opuntia]

To me the only other PPC program that Pocket Quicken can be compared to is SPB Quick because both of these programs allow synchronization directly thru Activesync and are not meant to be a stand alone financial program but rather a companion to the desktop version. Some of the other PPC financial programs (mainly the stand alone programs) that I’ve tried require you to export the files, save it in a certain directory….a real pain in the #*$. A compare/contrast review of Pocket Quicken and SPBQuick would be great, anyone…

[PetiteFlower]

I must say that what I hated the MOST about Money was the fact that it took over both my PPC and my desktop, started up when I didn't ask it to, and was EXTREMELY difficult to remove from both places. After years of using Quicken, I tried to switch over to Money and found it completely not intuitive and impossible to get used to. Switching is not a consideration.

As far as a today screen plugin, I'd be happy just to have the balance whatever account(s) I selected, and be basically a way of starting the program without having to search for a shortcut :) That might actually be the factor that makes me buy this over SPB. I'd really rather have the native synchronization and I like that I can at least delete synched transactions if I see I entered something wrong.

Another thing I'd like to see is "invisible" synchronization without that big window that pops up and has to be manually closed instead of closing itself when done.

[jim s]

I tried the demo last night and ran into a little problem. I couldn't sync my data, as it thought there was a password on it (which there wasn't.)

I almost gave up, but checked their web site for FAQ's, and what do you know, there was a FAQ on this exact problem. Seems that you need to create a password on the file on the desktop, then remove it. Then you can sync the data.

I hope this helps someone else.

[LandWare]

Another thing I'd like to see is "invisible" synchronization without that big window that pops up and has to be manually closed instead of closing itself when done.

This can be achieved if you check the "Hide Pocket Quicken Connect When Synchronizing" option in the Pocket Quicken ActiveSync settings dialog. Further details can be found on page 8 of the documentation.

hope this helps

[dlipetz]

So I've been basically waiting forever for Landware to get this product done. Was so anxious that I bought it right away, unaware that I could have downloaded it and used as a trial for 30 days.

Nevertheless, the setup and initial sync was incredibly smooth. Nary a bump or a wrinkle. Very intuitive to use.

(Note: Edited since my post referenced a software problem that didn't exist).

[PetiteFlower]

I don't know what's up with your copy, but in mine, the "current balance" is today's balance while the "ending balance" reflects future transactions. And on the account list screen, there is an option to either show the current balance or the ending balance, and it did remember my preference when I closed and reopened it. I agree that a balance column would be a nice thing, as far as I can tell there's enough room for it on the screen, but if your "current balance" is not today's balance, I think something might be wrong.....

[LandWare]

Nevertheless, the setup and initial sync was incredibly smooth. Nary a bump or a wrinkle. Very intuitive to use.


We are pleased to hear this. We worked really hard to ensure the install and initial sync experience was "one click" simple.


In the account registers, there is no column for account running balance.


At this stage Pocket Quicken does not provide a running balance column alongside each register entry. But we do provide the Current balance at the bottom of the screen.


There is a current account balance noted at the bottom, but that is reflective of all register transactions, even future ones.


It shouldn't reflect future transactions. The register displays two balances (when you have selected an account to view)

1. Current Balance - today's balance excluding future post-dated transactions. In the case of Credit cards the "Credit Remaining" is displayed in place of the Current balance.

2. Ending balance - The balance including future post-dated transactions.

I would check that your post-dated transactions are being displayed in blue. If not then I would check the date on your handheld and desktop. If that still doesn't help then feel to call our tech support people. They would be only too willing to help.

[dlipetz]

It shouldn't reflect future transactions. The register displays two balances (when you have selected an account to view)

1. Current Balance - today's balance excluding future post-dated transactions. In the case of Credit cards the "Credit Remaining" is displayed in place of the Current balance.

2. Ending balance - The balance including future post-dated transactions.

I stand corrected. I completely missed what is incredibly obvious. Indeed, current balance and ending balance work as noted.

However, I would still like running balances so I can check my balances by date of my choice, rather than just today or inclusive of all future transactions.

If screen real estate is an issue, and you want to avoid horizontal scroll (I would), I think it would be cool if you pressed a hardware button and the Amount column displays running balance. It can either toggle Amount/Running Balance or only display running balance as long as you hold down the button.

Appreciate the quick feedback.

[bbarker]

I was thinking about trying Quicken again, but gave up when I saw that there was no way to import Money files, and don't even get me started on the XG pricing model.............What is XG?

[ctmagnus]

I was thinking about trying Quicken again, but gave up when I saw that there was no way to import Money files, and don't even get me started on the XG pricing model.............What is XG?

Some countries have 2003 ( ie, USA), some have XG (ie, Canada).

[Bradskey]

Bradskey...chill. Pants is an expression that is seeming to cause some trans-atlantic confusion...its a little expression that we have over here...don't take it to heart or we'll have to introduce to other phrases that don't transfer....like...minging!
:devilboy: Take care
David :D

I'm ignorant of "minging" also, so I must fear it. :wink:

[Bradskey]

I did say 'in comparison to Money' - plus - why do you assume I meant rubbish? I was saying Quicken is poor. Quicken is lacking in features that I have grown accustomed to in Money. Once it was superior but Money has outdone it for several years now. I haven't seen a comparative review that favoured Quicken for several years now...

I think Quicken and its features are just fine, but then again, Intuits real meat and potatoes are probably their higher-end accounting products... something MS is really just starting to get serious about.

[k_kirk]

Hi. Interested in starting a thread just to compare the two. I have done some testing and collected some data which I'd like to share. I would like to get others input and feedback as well. How do we do this? Can a forum moderator start this thread so all interested parties can contribute? Thanks.

[k_kirk]

Apologies for my last post was not very clear. I would like to start a discussion around Pocket Quicken vs SPB Quick. Have been testing both for the last 2 weeks and like/dislike both product due to differing points. Would like to see how others' experience is like. Thanks.