Re: [PLUG] Quicken alternative?

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

 > Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:36:38 -0400
 > From: Rich G <rgoodwin1@cox.net>

First, thanks to all for the feedback.  I've heard nothing but good 
things about MoneyDance, and if I can get it to work (more below), I'll 
almost certainly go that way.

[Edited for brevity]

 > I found I should be using the Sun JAVA vice the open
 > source version (the default Java w/Ubuntu; this version crashed
 > consistently while MoneyDance worked just fine with the Sun version).

I think I've seen that elsewhere too.  I think I'm OK there since Help 
About says:
	Java Version 1.6.0_16
	Java Vendor: Sun


 > As for downloading, I had great support in the past.  I presume you
 > mean downloading data from institutions.  I download data from
 > American Express without any issue.  BoA - did not work.  I solved
 > that - I don't use my BoA credit card!  My credit union also does not
 > work.  Both do, however, export data into a QIF file ... which works.
 > This is a bank issue not MD's fault.  I tried to talk with my credit
 > union tech folks. they don't understand the web connection details.

Yup, it's my credit union (banks suck!).  I haven't tried any credit 
cards yet.  I think the credit union does QIF, but their site isn't the 
best and I haven't found it yet.  I want to try one more thing on my 
side, then I'll go to the MD support forums.


 > Your comment about it not being free is true but I wish to caveat
 > that.  It "costs" US$15.  What is missed is - Sean Reilly has provided
 > free upgrades for years - including major upgrades.  This is not a
 > conglomerate ripping the users off!

Well, it's $40 for MD 2008 [1], not that it really matters.  Or a $20 
upgrade if you last purchased MD before 2004.  That's more than fair, 
since a look at the change log [2] shows actual improvements and not 
feature bloat just for the sake of selling a "new" version.

While I prefer F/OSS, partly because I'm cheap and partly because I 
really want the "freedom" part, I don't mind paying for something of 
value.  Unnecessary upgrades forced on you to make more money for giant 
corporations are not "of value."  I'm looking at you, Intuit and Microsoft.

So far MoneyDance looks like a real winner.

Thanks again,
JP

[1] http://moneydance.com/purchase
[2] http://www.moneydance.com/preview/changes.shtml
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|      http://bashcookbook.com/
My Account, My Opinions     |=========|      http://www.jpsdomain.org/
----------------------------|=========|-------------------------------
"Microsoft Tax" = the additional hardware & yearly fees for the add-on
software required to protect Windows from its own poorly designed and
implemented self, while the overhead incidentally flattens Moore's Law.
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