From: rodc@fc.hp.com (Rod Cerkoney)
Subject: Re: Quicken vs Managing Your Money
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 18:30:44 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Fort Collins, CO
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.3 PL6]

	I've used Quicken for several years on the an IBM-PC and was quite
satisfied. Then I saw the light bought a Mac and Quicken 3.0. I was
disappointed in the disparity between IBM vs Mac Quicken. The Mac version has
no Investment Account capabilities nor Loan Amortization facility. Most other
features are on the Mac; credit Card, Liability accounts, categories, classes
.. etc. So, to get investments, I bought MYM 5.0.

	What I have found out so far, in using both packages on the Mac, is
that the Quicken User Interface is more streamlined and straight forward.
_ALL_ Quicken transactions are all done in a window that resembles a checkbook
register. There is a separate register for each of your accounts, Checking,
Savings, Credit Card(s), Auto Loans, Mortgage...what ever you set up. If you
want to edit a transaction in Quicken: Go to the register and change it! And,
the account balance appears at the bottom of the window. In MYM you must go
to a 'Transaction Register' find the item of interest double click it, the
you are presented with another window in which you can make your change. If
you need to make multiple edit you go back and forth between windows to make
each edit. This seems clumsy to me. In Quicken you stay in one window and
make all your changes. 

	Last night I wanted to review my mortgage transactions in MYM. What I
prefer to see is something like:

				Starting Bal:     $$$$.$$
				
				 transaction 1	    $$.$$
				 transaction 2      $$.$$
					:
					:
	
				Balance		  $$$$.$$

This is pretty much how the data appears in Quicken's register view or
report. In MYM I do not get the Starting or Balance info, only transaction
amounts (the checks I wrote). To get balance data I have to generate a report
or go to the account setup window to get balance data. Again a lot of clumsy
window hopping to get the data I want. 

	Comment on MYM Windows vs Quicken: MYM windows are are mostly static
W.R.T.  the area that data is displayed in.  Quick windows are dynamic such
that the larger they are the more data they display.

	Comment on data entry: Quicken & MYM both allow 'splitting'
allocations entering data. [Example: $X dollars to Mortgage Principle Y$ to
Mortgage interest.] In Quicken's 'split window' As I enter allocation amount
the balance to remaining to be allocated is displayed at the bottom of the
window in a blank line. In MYM no 'balance to allocate' is displayed but when
I press the button to record the transaction and a balance of greater than
$0.00 dollars exist a warning panel appears. I must the decide how to deal
with the warning and the unallocated balance, dismiss the panel to get back
to the split entry screen and make my corrections/edits. You guessed it
Clumsy :-)

	Data import/export. Both use QIF, Quicken Interchange Format for
importing transaction data. Going from PC Quicken 6.0 -> Mac Quicken 3.0 I
could not import my account structures as documented in the manual. Quicken's
support line did not have a remedy. And, of course Investment account data
was ignored. PC Quicken -> MYM resulted in 'Invalid QIF format errors' and no
data imported. Bottom line on QIF; it appears several non-compatible
versions. Data export. Quicken: DIF, SYLK, ASCII to File of transaction data.
ASCII worked for me. I haven't tried the others. MYM: untested to date.

	Manuals: MYM, the 'Money Section' is about 100 pages long explains
the method(s) used to handle various type of account and transitions in a
task oriented format. QUICKEN: >300 page addressing program operation,
account and transaction handling in a tutorial/task orientation.

	This report is not complete but address's many of the items in the
news string. If you have specific questions I will try to answer the for you
via email. I hope this info is useful. 
	


--


Regards,
Rod Cerkoney
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  Rod Cerkoney MS 37     email:                      /      \ 
  Hewlett Packard         rodc@fc.hp.com        /\  /        \  
  3404 East Harmony Rd.  Hpdesk:               /  \/          \    /\
  Fort Collins, CO 80525  HP4000/UX           /    \           \  /  \
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