QUICKBOOKS PRO VS ONLINE

[mike]

Quickbooks Desktop will likely be around indefinitely, unless the online version becomes more full-featured. Through their SDK they offer ways for other applications to integrate with QB Desktop. So there are many applications that are dependent on QB integration, such as the POS system we use at my business. Were QB desktop to suddenly go away, it would be a very big deal for developers and users all over the place. Not happening any time soon is my guess.

[Hats Off]

Quickbooks Desktop will likely be around indefinitely, unless the online version becomes more full-featured. Through their SDK they offer ways for other applications to integrate with QB Desktop. So there are many applications that are dependent on QB integration, such as the POS system we use at my business. Were QB desktop to suddenly go away, it would be a very big deal for developers and users all over the place. Not happening any time soon is my guess.

They promise us it won't go away but almost all of their development work goes into the online version. If you google QuickBooks, you would think desktop has gone away already. I am sure they would like it to but currently they have too much to lose. For all that Intuit makes it sound as though they were working for us, the ProAdvisor partners, and our clients, it is obvious that they are still working for Intuit first.

[mike]

Quickbooks Desktop will likely be around indefinitely, unless the online version becomes more full-featured. Through their SDK they offer ways for other applications to integrate with QB Desktop. So there are many applications that are dependent on QB integration, such as the POS system we use at my business. Were QB desktop to suddenly go away, it would be a very big deal for developers and users all over the place. Not happening any time soon is my guess.

They promise us it won't go away but almost all of their development work goes into the online version. If you google QuickBooks, you would think desktop has gone away already. I am sure they would like it to but currently they have too much to lose. For all that Intuit makes it sound as though they were working for us, the ProAdvisor partners, and our clients, it is obvious that they are still working for Intuit first.

Yes, you can tell they care more about QB online, and why: more people are starting to use it. Just the way things are going. They are going to put their efforts into what is the wave of the future.

[Neto]

The "handwriting on the wall" starts when what used to be the standard edition is now the one that gets the adjective in its description (i.e., it used to be QucikBooks & QuickBooks On-line. Now it is QuickBooks & QuickBooks Desktop.) My biggest beef with these large companies is how they insulate themselves from the user. I have used every possible contact method to gain a hearing with Intuit in regards to maintaining a non-subscription version of QB ES, and like you say, Hats Off, it is mainly about money for Intuit, not the customer, especially not those who represent a small percentage of their users. They really just do not care.

[knotdust]

I think you are correct Mike. The Online version will need to become more full featured before it really takes off. I wonder if they saw all the other POS apps out there and felt like they needed to be have their own version available. I asked the question in the forums whether there was any thought being given to making the icons available in the Online version like the desktop version. The answer was NO. That almost felt like a step back in time to those of us who had some training in the DOS shell programs. I didn't have much but knew some basics. With my smart phone having all the icon based apps, going to a list mode like QB on line just seemed like going backwards rather than a leap forward.

Had they taken the Desktop Version features and made them work On Line they would have had a convert in me almost immediately. Instead it seemed the attitude was to create a totally new program and force people to use it. Sometimes that is the best way especially if you have a program that doesn't work well. However, with the success they had with the Desktop versions you would think they would want to capitalize on that market and grow it if they could. However, when did software companies ever make sense.

Like I said earlier one of the biggest drawbacks I saw almost immediately was the report side of things. Not the same formatting and not all of it from what I found. I don't know a lot about programming but I would think they would have been able to take many of the features etc of the Desktop version and recreate them in the On line version. Would have made a much more seamless transition for people switching over but then what do I know. The only advantage that I have seen is the ability to have people working on it at the same time who may not be in the same location but that is just my 2 cents.

[mike]

If they would have the same features and functionality online, I wouldn't mind using the online version. In my case I am syncing summary sales data and vendor and customer information once daily with a third party QuickBooks Sync app. If that could be done with the online version, maybe it would be attractive to me.

The other thing about the online version is that you are locked into a subscription. I already hate that I am forced to buy a new copy of the desktop software ($200 or so times three computers) every two or three years because, for no reason other than wanting to extract more $$$ from you. The Bank Feeds feature "expires" in x years after you buy it, and so do the payroll tax tables, forcing you to buy an updated version. I would be happy with using old versions of QB and have no other need to do the upgrade. I have a friend who pays $60 or so per month for QB online, and so paying $200 every couple of years is cheaper, but still expensive.

The flip side to that is that they have to fund ongoing development somehow. Since they have us over the barrel, we pay.

[Hats Off]

The "handwriting on the wall" starts when what used to be the standard edition is now the one that gets the adjective in its description (i.e., it used to be QucikBooks & QuickBooks On-line. Now it is QuickBooks & QuickBooks Desktop.) My biggest beef with these large companies is how they insulate themselves from the user. I have used every possible contact method to gain a hearing with Intuit in regards to maintaining a non-subscription version of QB ES, and like you say, Hats Off, it is mainly about money for Intuit, not the customer, especially not those who represent a small percentage of their users. They really just do not care.

As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, we get good access to support. There was a time when Canadian calls to Intuit went to India - that did not work well. Today, with QB Online, we have excellent support. When my customers have difficulties with the software, they call me rather than Intuit. Support is included in my annual fee.

[Neto]

The "handwriting on the wall" starts when what used to be the standard edition is now the one that gets the adjective in its description (i.e., it used to be QucikBooks & QuickBooks On-line. Now it is QuickBooks & QuickBooks Desktop.) My biggest beef with these large companies is how they insulate themselves from the user. I have used every possible contact method to gain a hearing with Intuit in regards to maintaining a non-subscription version of QB ES, and like you say, Hats Off, it is mainly about money for Intuit, not the customer, especially not those who represent a small percentage of their users. They really just do not care.

As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, we get good access to support. There was a time when Canadian calls to Intuit went to India - that did not work well. Today, with QB Online, we have excellent support. When my customers have difficulties with the software, they call me rather than Intuit. Support is included in my annual fee.

Yes, the ProAdvisors I know all do a great job of helping with whatever comes up. (There's a guy on-line - Scott Gregory, Better Bottom Line, who has helped me out various times.) But what I was getting at is the company themselves, listening to what the customer would like to see. I have also, even recently, been connected to 'techs' in India, or probably the Philippines. (I've chatted with some of them, and they have told me that they are in the Philippines.) They are always very courteous, and do their best to help, but I don't think they are given a great deal of training before they are put on the help desk. The last time I was dealing with an issue, the tech wasn't able to help exactly, but something she said gave me the idea for what to do. (The issue was that when attempting to apply an update, there was no button on the screen where you need to consent before it begins the process. I had it come up on two systems at the same business. I uninstalled the program, and then re-installed it with a fresh program download, which automatically includes the latest release pack.) (This is in a non-internet setting, so I have to do the updates manually.)

[Hats Off]

Support used to be in India; now in the Philippines; I really preferred working with them over the ones from India.

[knotdust]

Just got a text this afternoon about some upcoming changes in the QB Online. There will be usage limits to the various versions. If have more users than that level allows you will need to move up to the next level. i.e if your are on simple start and you need to add more accounts, users etc that level allows you will need to move up to the next level unless there are some accounts you can delete to keep you in that level. For now I seem to be OK according to them but I think my classes are close to the limit.

So I think that is one more strike against them in my opinion. So yes it looks like I will be going back to Desktop. If I need to upgrade to 2019 Pro or Enterprise I will do so but I think I may be able to operate in the 2015 version for now.

OJ we still do things the old way. I write and mail the checks. It takes a little more time but since I am retired now what is a little more time I used to be able to purchase from Deluxe Business forms for the Desktop version. I didn't purchase a 5 year supply. They offered in 100/300/500/1000 quantities. I only purchased 300 or 500 at a time and that would last 1-2 years. I don't like to have too many blank checks just lying around. I send about 40-60 checks per month and this has worked quite well for many years. Likely I will continue doing it that way. When the treasurer work is done by someone else then they may do as they wish.

Mike I don't link to the bank with Desktop or On line so it won't likely affect me too much if I want to go back to an older version. When the bank statement comes it goes to the head trustee to open and review before coming back to me for reconciling. It adds one level of protection for the church and gives oversight to the process. The ushers count the offerings and log them in a written record before handing them to the assistant treasurer for depositing. He then passes me the count sheets for recording into Quickbooks.