From: sam@terapin.com (Sam Lewit)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
Subject: Re: Wanted: Suggestions on accounting/inventory s/w for a small business
Date: 25 Jul 92 21:41:35 PST
Organization: BBS

In article <1992Jul23.005608.10271@Synopsys.Com>, ranjit@synopsys.com (Ranjit
Padmanabhan) writes:
>I run a small mail-order business from home, and am interested in obtaining
>the software necessary to automate the book-keeping, on my Amiga 2000. The
>following are my requirements:
>
[list of requirements deleted]

I've been all through this a couple of years ago and my best advice for you
(preparing for the flames)... is to get yourself a cheap AT and a cheap
monitor. Even an XT might work. You can get them for a few hundred dollars now.
LESS than I paid for the two software packages I tried with the Amiga.

First was "The Accountant". Pure junk. I think we paid about $199 (??) for it.
The manual (if ya wanna call it that), is about 60 pages and looks like it was
done with a 9 pin printer. The software itself (compiled BASIC!!!) is so
inflexible, and so awkward to use. We purchased it just to use the Payroll
feature of it, and then to move to the A/P and inventory. We never got past
Payroll.

When the skimpy directions didn't give me a clue as to how to set up our
California state tax deductions, I called the "support" number. I got an
answering machine, and left my name, number at work & home, and my fax number.
No reply. A few days later I called again, and left the info again on the
machine. No reply. I tried the 3rd time, and finally got a human response. When
I started off saying that I was having trouble setting up or state sales taxes,
she interupted me and said "Oh, you're not from California, are you?". I said I
was. She told me that California's tax structure is more complex than others,
so they didn't bother adding it (of course it doesn't state this ANYWHERE
inside or outside of the box, manual and diskette). So there is $199 of useless
garbage. We even gave it the benefit of the doubt, and tried our inventory on
it. All very awkward requiring you memorize cryptic "codes" to identify certain
aspects of inventory/payroll.

We then ate the $200 and went with B.E.S.T. This was far better and actually
pretty useable, but again, very closed and unexpandable. YOU conform to its
standards. It also does not multitask or even resemble an Amiga program. There
wer certain minor problems that just became annoying after awhile (I wish I
could remember them now... it has been several years). On top of that, it did
not have a Payroll module.

These were the only two I know (knew) of for the Amiga. Both are very poor in
my opinion. I'd be glad to sell you either for a few bucks (if I can get that).

What we finally did was to get an inexpensive AT 286 with a 40MB hard drive and
a used monochrome monitor. The software package called PEACHTREE III was
recommended to me. The price is $199. The package contains a seperate manual
for GL, AP, AR, Payroll, Inventory, Job Cost, Installation, and DOS Primer. The
manuals side by side are about a foot wide and VERY well laid out. The software
is as simple or as complicated as you would need and is VERY flexible. For just
about everything there are lookup tables. For example, if you had some items
entered in inventory, and wanted to pull up the inventory page for your
WIDGETS, you could enter "widgets" or you can type just a "w" and hit F2 and
you'll get a list starting with w on. Or of course you can enter "widg" and so
on. These lookups are EVERYWHERE! For customers, accounts, invoices, you name
it.

A couple of other great features of inventory are the ability to track serial
numbers of items sold and who they were sold to. You can also "link" parts
together to form a complete part. For example, if you sold video tapes. You can
say have 3 different titles under three seperate inventory items. But lets say
you offer your customers a "combo pack" of these three titles. You can then
enter the combo pack as an inventory item. When you sell one, it automatically
deducts from those three individual titles.

I am an Amiga fanatic myself, but when talking business software, forget about
it. There's nothing for it. If anyone can prove me wrong, please reply! I'd be
interested if anything new has come out in the past 2-3 years.

Sam Lewit                 | sam@terapin.com
2550 Shattuck #73         | "We shouldn't be blindly opposed to all progress.
Berkeley, Ca. 94704       | But we should be opposed to blind progress"
Internet: sam@terapin.com | 510-486-1422 24HR BBS Newsfeeds Free
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications