Best Financial/Money app?

[ikesler]

Let's face it Microsoft Money for PPC stinks!
I have tried the demos of a couple of money apps......... wonering which one you might be using, and why you like it so. I use Money on the Desktop computer......... if that makes a difference. Thanks much in advance for any responses!

[Pat Logsdon]

Personally, I use Mastersoft Money (http://www.mastersoftmobilesolutions.com/DETAIL_NET_MastersoftMoney.htm) everyday. Works well, and the pie charts are nifty! :mrgreen:

FYI: The quality of their site is NOT an indication of the quality of the product. :|

[darrylb]

Personally, I use Mastersoft Money (http://www.mastersoftmobilesolutions.com/DETAIL_NET_MastersoftMoney.htm) everyday. Works well, and the pie charts are nifty! :mrgreen:


I tried Mastersoft money but found it slow and very resource hungry (watch the free memory sink like a stone). Most of this is related to the version of the .Net framework they used - the older version (non VS2003) was known to be slow (they may have fixed this now) and the performance of SQLCE. In the end I removed it at the end of the trial period for these reasons :roll:

I tried a number of other programs and found them all severely lacking in either reporting functionality or budget management.

I have just installed the new version of Cash Organizer 2003, and so far I am impressed. It has good (but not excellent) reporting features including drill down capability, good (again not excellent) budgeting features, good import/export and compatibility (including sync with MS Money on the desktop). It seems to be fast (heaps faster than Mastersoft Money) and doesn't hog the system memory (although you may still notice it).

Cash organizer also has the ability to be used for work or home, and includes the ability to itemize transactions against projects as well as categories. The reconciliation features are easy to use (single/double tap to clear/reconcile transactions) and importing qif files is much more intuitive than the old version.

It also has a nice today plug in that can be modified to view your balance or any upcoming payments. The program can be password protected and prompts you to back up when you exit (dont know if you can turn this off yet - but I normally backup to the SD Card anyway).

My only gripe about it is the price $49.95 from handango!!!! Mind you, the new site (synclub.com) has it listed for $37.95 - if you have a subscription :|

I will probably purchase Cash Organizer when my trial period is over. It certainly beats the others hands down for my needs. Mastersoft Money is certainly functional, but just too slow and resource hungry for my liking (even if it is only $15)

Hope this is useful (and not too long - maybe I should turn this into a review.... :wink: )

[bljarv]

Let's face it Microsoft Money for PPC stinks!
I would agree that as a stand alone app, it's not much. But I use it just for remote data entry and use my desktop for all of the power useage. This model works very well for me...especially since it was FREE. $49.95 is a lot for a PPC app that won't ever be able to match the desktop capability of MS Money or Quicken for the heavy-duty stuff.

[ntractv]

Let's face it Microsoft Money for PPC stinks!
I have tried the demos of a couple of money apps......... wonering which one you might be using, and why you like it so. I use Money on the Desktop computer......... if that makes a difference. Thanks much in advance for any responses!

I would admit that the earlier version of MS Pocket Money sucked, but, since they have fixed the bugs that plagued it, I find it very useful and I just upgraded to MS Money 2003. No problems. What about it is it that sucks?

[darrylb]

Let's face it Microsoft Money for PPC stinks!
I would agree that as a stand alone app, it's not much. But I use it just for remote data entry and use my desktop for all of the power useage. This model works very well for me...especially since it was FREE. $49.95 is a lot for a PPC app that won't ever be able to match the desktop capability of MS Money or Quicken for the heavy-duty stuff.

Granted - if you are going to use the desktop for your "power" stuff, Micro Money (heh) should be fine for entry. However, I have not spent any money on the Desktop edition and at this stage dont intend to. I prefer to do all my stuff on the PPC and for this, I need a decent "full featured" app. From memory, there was not any functionality in quicken (when I last used it) that I used that I dont have with Cash Organizer.

Still - I dont want to be too precious about this topic either, I am only representing my experience, and we all have different needs. Your milage may vary. :)

[ombu]

I've been using Cash Organizer after testing almost everything else, I'm really happy with it, just my $0.02.

Regards.

[Crystal Eitle]

I've been using Cash Organizer after testing almost everything else, I'm really happy with it, just my $0.02.

Regards.

Why oh why did I have to find out about this? It looks really cool - I'm going to have to try it out. Another $40, bye-bye.

I spend more money on my Pocket PC....

[darrylb]

Why oh why did I have to find out about this? It looks really cool - I'm going to have to try it out. Another $40, bye-bye.

I spend more money on my Pocket PC....

Think of it as an investment :D

[Crystal Eitle]

How does Cash Organizer behave if you already have Pocket Money installed on your PPC? Should I uninstall Pocket Money before installing Cash Organizer (I'm going to try the demo)?

[Crystal Eitle]

I tend to think about money the most when I'm away from home. It would be nice to have an app that would let me do planning and budgeting while away from my computer.

Pocket Money is little more than a glorified check register....

[darrylb]

How does Cash Organizer behave if you already have Pocket Money installed on your PPC? Should I uninstall Pocket Money before installing Cash Organizer (I'm going to try the demo)?

<Thumb to forehead> Dunno - but I would not think it would matter. Cash Organizer needs an add on to sync with desktop money, so in theory it should not touch anything that matters.....unless you install the add on as well.... :wink:

[ikesler]

I say pocket money stinks because.......... when I used it on my old devices it always crashed my desktop money files......... it happened to me on 3 seperate occasions......... I know they have 'fixed' the problems/bugs....... but I am a little leery of giving it another go.......
I also feel that it is sooooo limited........ I mean I know it is just an entry app really, to work 'with' the desktop app...... but I would love a few more options......
I tried mastersoft and it was alright, a little slow still and it WAS a real memory hog...........
Cash Organizer was pretty good....... but $40 is a little steep I think......... I use PI all day, every day, and it wasn't that much! Maybe I am missing something in it, or am oblivious to some features that make it THAT great........ but that is pricey!
So I guess I am in the same place really.......... any others out there that people have tried and/or purchased..........?
Thanks for the replies! :D

[darrylb]

Cash Organizer was pretty good....... but $40 is a little steep I think......... I use PI all day, every day, and it wasn't that much! Maybe I am missing something in it, or am oblivious to some features that make it THAT great........ but that is pricey!

If you sign up at syncclub.com you can get it cheaper (I think I already said that), but, maybe we can get inesoft to give us a deal for a while - ala Repligo.... :wink:

They have had some good press in this thread and money management software is a regularly requested and under featured PPC software sector :D .

[William Yeung]

I wanna confirm that: is that because they use .NET CF so MasterSoft Money is slow, or its because of their optimization?
I am a developer... and I am playing around .NET CF now... a bit cautious about that...

[darrylb]

I wanna confirm that: is that because they use .NET CF so MasterSoft Money is slow, or its because of their optimization?
I am a developer... and I am playing around .NET CF now... a bit cautious about that...

From my limited understanding (I have not done much development with the .NetCF yet), the version of .NetCF that was introduced to be integrated into Visual Studio.Net 2002 was known to be slow. I am told (although I cant tell any difference in my testing) that the new version (VS 2003) is faster. I got this information from a bloke I know in the development tools area at Microsoft.

My experience with SQLCE has not been impressive either - it does appear slow, but whether that is because the API I was using (ADO.NET) in the CF was slow or whether the database is slow, I dont know for sure.

Of course, I cant commend on Mastersoft practices and the implication thereof :wink:

[ikesler]

What is syncclub.com?
What do I have to do to join and ............. why is it only like a couple bucks off if you join too?

[darrylb]

What is syncclub.com?
What do I have to do to join and ............. why is it only like a couple bucks off if you join too?

Go here (http://www.synclub.com) and have a look. I'm interested in what peoples opinions of this new site are. (I dont work for them either - just interested).

[Steven Cedrone]

What is syncclub.com?
What do I have to do to join and ............. why is it only like a couple bucks off if you join too?

Please, let's get back on topic. As for Syncclub, see this front page post (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=114839&PHPSESSID=3614e236989c2335773b9e8f402727df).

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

[gbpackers4ever]

Do y'all know that Inesoft released MoneySync 1.0 for Cash Organizer 2003? I have CO and love it for its many, many features. I installed MoneySync yesterday and was able to sync between MS Money 2002 Deluxe and CO without problems. I've added transactions to both Money and CO and the sync worked great. No more dealing w/ QIF's. And I haven't crashed ActiveSync after doing several syncs (knock on wood).

[Cortex]

moneysync is a little buggy sometimes.

it has problems with the categories and occassionally it screws up the transaction type with garbage characters.

i also worry that it shifted the dates of my transaction since i always get paid on a specific day of the week but noticed recently that my paycheck income transactions were dated on to a different day.....

nothing like tweeking the financial database....

.".
V
---

[CESkins]

moneysync is a little buggy sometimes.

it has problems with the categories and occassionally it screws up the transaction type with garbage characters.

i also worry that it shifted the dates of my transaction since i always get paid on a specific day of the week but noticed recently that my paycheck income transactions were dated on to a different day.....
I have seen a number of the bugs you mentioned in the release candidate of MoneySync. These bugs have sinced been resolved with version 1.x. I am using MoneySync v1.01 w/MS Money 2002 Deluxe and CO 2003 Deluxe with no problems. Heck, I can even leave CO and Money running while entering transactions without database corruption (ala early versions of MS Activesync conduit for Pocket Money). Pretty cool entering a transaction in Money and a few seconds later it shows up in CO. I have been using CO as my only financial program for 1 yr now and it is a very robust program. I refused to manually sync my MS Money data with CO using QIF files. Thus I had to make a choice on which program to use and CO had everything I needed (planner, budget, reports, great interface/register, speed, and project categorization). It is not as feature rich as MS Money 200x Deluxe on the desktop but it is waaayyy more feature-rich than any PocketPC program of its type. Now that Inesoft has released a syncing conduit for use w/Money, I am back to managing my finances using both Money and CO. CO can only get better (I have already e-mailed the developer with some suggestions that he will be implementing in a future version). Inesoft is very good about incorporating user feedback into their product. For two yrs straight CO has been the best financial software for WinCE and as far as I can tell, it will continue to hold that title for some time to come. :)

[ikesler]

So it seems to me that CO is the app that most people really like........
I use Money on the desktop too, and would love the sync conduit.......
Too bad I tried the app a while back and can't demo it again, I just have to buy it now........... :?
It seems expensive but you all seem to really like it......... how is the support? Is it active like PI or not like............ most other apps!!!! :D

[Cortex]

i think i might be using the beta so glad to hear theyve fixed this.

i agree though, CO is a good program i just think its overpriced. i went ahead an bought it because i use desktop ms money but i think quicken for the ppc is a better deal with the same fucntionality.

[ombu]

It seems expensive but you all seem to really like it......... how is the support? Is it active like PI or not like............ most other apps!!!! :D

AFAIK there's no developer delivering half the support found at WebIS site :wink: , Inesoft has no forum at all but you can always use their contact page, an answer will arrive soon, real soon, I think they're good at the help desk, and yep, it's expensive, but reliable and plenty of features.

Regards.

[darrylb]

Thus I had to make a choice on which program to use and CO had everything I needed (planner, budget, reports, great interface/register, speed, and project categorization). It is not as feature rich as MS Money 200x Deluxe on the desktop but it is waaayyy more feature-rich than any PocketPC program of its type.

Since you have purchased it, if you were advising someone who does not have a Desktop Money app - and uses the features of CO - is it worth buying both or just CO?

[CESkins]

Since you have purchased it, if you were advising someone who does not have a Desktop Money app - and uses the features of CO - is it worth buying both or just CO?

If you don't already own the desktop version of MS Money, I would just go ahead and purchase CO. It can be used as a standalone product and provides enough features that you really don't need a desktop app. However, it depends on how you intend to use your PocketPC. If all you want to do is enter a few simple transactions while on the go and then do all the major financial management on the PC, I would get Money and install Pocket Money on your PDA. If you need a tool almost as powerful as MS Money while on the go, I would go with CO and forget about Money (unless you needed some of the features that Money has such as lifetime planner, auto bill pay, downloading account info from online banks, portfolio management, built-in financial calculators, etc.)

[Cortex]

pocket quicken is cheaper, looks more intuitive, and seems to do the same stuff....

[CESkins]

pocket quicken is cheaper, looks more intuitive, and seems to do the same stuff....
Cheaper yes...and definitely an option for just a standalone PocPC financial app. However, Pocket Quicken does not sync w/MS Money (unless I am mistaken). Also Pocket Quicken does not appear to have a report(s) feature. If you don't need these options, then Pocket Quicken definitely looks like a good option based on what I see on the website.

[PetiteFlower]

However, if you use desktop Quicken, then Pocket Quicken is the way to go.

[darrylb]

pocket quicken is cheaper, looks more intuitive, and seems to do the same stuff....

I tried to install PoQuick, but was not able to as it seemed to require Quicken to be installed (which of course, I dont have). So - that puts it in the same position as buying CO and MS Money.

CESkins - your feedback was exactly what I suspected, thanks for confirming. I will shell out for CO when the trial period expires. :D I'll finally finish my search for a financial app but :evil: about shelling out 37.50 (plus my SynClub membership fee) for the product.

[csterns]

Does anyone know of any programs that might work with Quicken Pro? I had a conversation with someone yesterday who purchased a Pocket PC to specifically do transactions from their Pocket PC rather than waiting to the end of the day to do their business transactions. From what he told be he does all his billing from Quicken Pro. Any suggestions?

[tanalasta]

I actually like microsoft money as i don't sync with a desktop version. I find that the ppc version works just fine and dandy for someone who only needs a simple way of keeping track of and displaying their credit card/bank transactions. (and to see how much i'm in debt :oops: )

I do have mastersoft money (free with PI) but have yet to install it. Why? Because i have a e310 with only 32MB of ram total and i can't install PI, resco programs AND mastersoft money (a very hefty 5MB install). I've yet to decide whether its worth it making room for this program... let me know what you think!

[Thinkingmandavid]

I am currently running Mastersoftmoney and it is ok. I dont like how slow it loads up, and true it uses a lot of space.
I dont like how you enter transactions simply because if you make a mistake you have to clear the whole screen.
ON my laptop I have quicken which I never use. Petiteflower mentioned the desktop version of quicken and the ppc version are cool.
I am wondering if there is anything else she can share about it. I got Mastersoftmoney for free, I wouldnt mind changing but I really want it to be worth it.

[darrylb]

I ended up purchasing Cash Organizer and Im really pleased with it. I especially like the abilty to run reports from almost any screen. The price is more reasonable now too.

[AF1]

A new interesting offer by Inesoft (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?productType=2&jid=82X73BFCX957CAXC37FD22544ADB72XX&platformId=2&homePath=HANDANGO&siteId=1&productId=93125&sectionId=0&catalog=1&authorId=58274).

[ctmagnus]

I use Pocket Quicken becauee I use Quicken XG on the desktop and didn't want to fuss with importing/exporting qif files everytime I wanted to sync between the devices. However, this new $10 deal for CO makes it look mighty tempting.