Entered CNET Catalog: 08/18/2003
SKU: VSQPHB04
Manufacturer: Intuit Inc.
Manufacturer description
Quicken 2004 Premier Home & Business includes everything in Quicken Premier for your personal finances, plus special tools to make running your business easier than ever. You get invoicing, job tracking, accounts payable and receivable and more - and using these features is as easy as using Quicken to balance your personal checkbook! Manage your personal and business finances together or separately, the choice is yours. Look more professional, see how your business is doing, be prepared for tax season, see your complete personal financial picture in minutes, become a smarter investor with Quicken 2004 Premier Home & Business.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 08/20/2003
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| Express Setup, new in Quicken 2004, automatically downloads account information from more than 2,000 banks, brokers, and other financial institutions. |
Quicken 2004's biggest advantage over Money 2004 is its new Express Setup. It walks you through a series of wizardlike screens to enter the financial institution's name, the type of account, and an identifying account number and PIN. Quicken accesses the institution's Web site (thanks to its existing relationships with more than 2,000 financial institutions), downloads your account's financial history and current balance, and automatically fills the appropriate fields in its check register and other forms. If you have more accounts with the same bank, Quicken automatically configures all of them. Microsoft Money 2004 still forces you to enter this data manually from your statements.
While Express Setup is slick, it may require some manual intervention. When we tried to set up a Wells Fargo checking account, Quicken reported we had entered the wrong PIN, even though the PIN we supplied was correct. Wisely, the Quicken setup box includes the financial institution's customer service number, expediting the process of getting the online information corrected and entered quickly. Quicken 2004's features represent mostly evolutionary steps from the 2003 version, and the program doesn't provide Money 2004's wealth of online freebies. But in its quiet way, it's better than before--and better than Money. (Money users have one caveat: Quicken 2004 doesn't convert Money portfolios.)
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| The Net Worth view in Quicken's Financial Overview uses a series of colorful charts to display your personal worth. |
Quicken may lose some true cheapskates to its fee-based services. Users must pay $9.95 for bill paying, or about $120 per year, while Money Deluxe users get one year free, and Money Premium and Money Small Business users get two years.
But other online features in Quicken make the freebies less important. Quicken 2004 Premier Home & Business, for instance, includes a Business Center full of forms and legal advice from Nolo Books. Across all editions of Quicken, automatic categorization of transactions (another carryover from Quicken 2003) is better than before. It now searches Intuit's online database of business names. You'll still have to categorize some transactions manually, such as those from local mom-and-pop stores. Money 2004, on the other hand, requires you to manually rename these transactions the first time.
Other Quicken 2003 features have also been reworked in version 2004. The Asset Allocation pie chart, which displays your portfolio's diversity, now includes mutual-fund ratings from Morningstar. And the venerable check register now uses a faded font for reconciled transactions, making it easier to spot outstanding items. Money does not offer this register feature. Quicken's technical-support offerings are its weakest point. Microsoft Money users get free phone support all week, but Quicken users must pay $1.95 per minute for help with issues other than installation and data conversion, and there's no weekend support.
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| Quicken 2004 provides plenty of FAQs and troubleshooting advice, but we'd like to see better e-mail, chat, and phone support. |
Intuit's online site provides the customary collection of FAQs, troubleshooting advice, and other self-help tools, but you can't e-mail tech support. Intuit does provide online chat support, but the hours are limited and somewhat odd: Monday through Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., closed Thursday and Friday, and open again on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
1/10
Worst Upgrade Ever!!!!
Pros: None
Cons: Investment tracking does not work properly. Calculations for ROI, Return %, show up as N/A, even with years of data. This program is full of bugs, and easily the worst version ever!!! Stay with Q03!
User Rating: 
3/10
Hangs system hard in CPU loop when online
Pros: Good interface, features in those rare periods between bugs.
Cons: Serious quality issues. Zero support.
User Rating: 3/10
Hands down, the worst upgrade ever
Pros: The primary user interface looks good, and gives a decent overview of all underlying data.
Cons: More bugs than you can count. First release froze my entire machine; later releases just freeze the Quicken application requiring Task Manager to close (but it's an improvement!). Some transactions (like a payroll deposit) take a long time to process. O
User Rating: 
2/10
Awkward account management & limited business applications
Pros: Everything is a variant on checking accounts. No real budget management features.
Cons: Easy to install.
User Rating: 
5/10
too many bugs ("features")
Pros: standard
Cons: upgraded from 2000. many salient features gone!! many bugs with respect to Cap Gains calcs...too numerous to mention. reports not as flexable. bugs in retiremnt section. asset classes not accurate...etc
User Rating: 3/10
Lost too much in conversion from MONEY 2003
Pros: Had no trouble loading or running program.
Cons: Does not convert all information from Microsoft Money 2003. I was a long time Quicken user (almost from the first version) who switched to Money this past year after last years Turbo-Tax fiasco. I again used Turbo-Tax this year because it still has the m
User Rating: 5/10
Quicken development team lost their way!
Pros: I was a Quicken user since the DOS days in the 80's and always loved the product.
Cons: The product development team has clearly lost their way. This is the most buggy product I have seen. I was not able to successfully migrate from 2003 to 2004. It kept corrupting my data and crashing. Support was not helpful. In my frustration I downl
User Rating: 1/10
DO NOT UPGRADE TO QUICKEN 2004!!!
Pros: New interface looks nice. That's it!
Cons: This app is buggy as hell! I am a tech support specialist for my company. I've been using Quicken since Quicken 99 and every version since. Quicken 2004 crashes constantly and runs like a beta program. I know how to troubleshoot and this app is horrib
User Rating: 5/10
2004 is only window dressing, could be better
Pros: Overall, Q is a good product. I have had none of the problems others have mentioned, but I am running a fairly new computer with XP and lots of memory. Speed and stability have not been an issue. Upgraded from H&B 2002 just fine, no problems.
Cons: Basically elegance. The Mac version is clearly programed by thinking people. The PC versions are cumbersome and awkward to use. Intuit has lost site of the average user and no longer focuses on the little guy just trying to get his bills done. 1. DATA EN
User Rating: 
4/10
discourages safe computing
Pros: It handles my checkbook and 401(k).
Cons: Todays flame is about safe computing. Under WindowsXP it requires write permissions to some files in the program folder. There is no reason an application program should ever write to the OS or Program folder! Customization options can be kept in the r
User Rating: 2/10
Do NOT upgrade or buy
Pros: forced to move to 2004 as they are obsoleting web features in older products
Cons: HUGE problems, instruction at "XXX" referenced memory at "xxxx" could not read ... something is fundemental wrong with the software. About 40 hours spent, 5 sessions with tech support (including one of 3.5 hrs), each time they think there is a solution,
User Rating: 1/10
First time Quicken User - Dissappointed
Pros: None to mention
Cons: Extremely buggy. Not intuitive even though its developed by a company called Intuit. Online updates work 10% of the time. Support is a notch above non-existent. I intended to use the following features: Investing personal and 401K potfolios, track ex
User Rating: 4/10
NO live customer support - and you'll need it!
Pros: Has all the features you could want, very sophisticated retirement planning program - better than many investment advisors' who charge $250+.
Cons: Converting from Q '01 to '04, my download data was damaged (even after doing a "Super Validate" on a copy of the file as recommended.) I did this on Saturday, of course, since I work during the week. And discovered that there is NO live tech support - fo
User Rating: 
6/10
Pretty decent version
Pros: When the download features work, that is nice
Cons: Download features don't always work, e.g. mine doesn't work with Smith Barney; Also, there is a very annoying POPUP AD for a quicken service that comes up every session which I cannot get rid of. There is a box to check to not see it again, and I keep ch
User Rating: 5/10
It's a product of risk and luck. It may or may not work at your end
Pros: I am a quicken expert. I will never recommend you to use it if you are working fine with prior versions of Quicken. YOU PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO.
Cons: The most commin issues with Quicken are BACKUP and MEMORY LEAK. Please never upgrade to recent release until and unless you are frustrated with prevous versions. Upgrading will make you MORE FRUSTRATED!
User Rating: 2/10
Destroyed 12 years worth of data...
Pros: data file and then after I cycled through several backups, proceeded to corrupt everything. Online support is useless. Guess I'll switch to Money.
Cons: After installation and coversion of my data file, it worked fine. For a while. Then, after I cycled through several backups, Q2004 proceeded to corrupt everything. Online support is useless. Tried to start again with a new file with only new data and
User Rating: 2/10
Keep the old version
Pros: Easy to read balances on one side of screen
Cons: Has a memory leak so you must periodically close and reopen, nags you to buy additional Quicken services, few new features but items are smaller to make room for ads, had a conflict with a driver so I couldn't install - took 5 days to get to talk to someb
User Rating: 4/10
Every Window is a pop-up
Pros: Cleaner Home Page
Cons: Everytime you go to a particular section of the program it opens as an unanchored pop-up window.
User Rating: 4/10
Major Bug/ Won't open file since 1/1/2004
Pros: Does a good job of keeping track of finances
Cons: MAJOR BUG! I can't open files created in 2003 since the new year. Setting time back allows opening of files, but that is no solution. DO NOT BUY THIS UNTIL INTUIT FIXES BUG
User Rating: 4/10
This is the worst Quicken upgrade in years!!!
Pros: Improved interface, consolidation of Investment Cash and Security accounts is a real plus - when your previous data converts... However - read below why you should **not** upgrade (as I have done every year for 6 years and was always satified with th
Cons: 1. Terrible conversion process from Quicken 2003. Investment Cash and Security accounts required hand editing of the account details otherwise the Cash account disappeared altogether. Accounts ahd been super-validated in Q2003 and still failed. Tech
User Rating: 
7/10
This software should be reprogrammed
Pros: Checking and Stock download is excellent.
Cons: Many of the features do no work. Very frustrating! Am unable to download from my brokerage. I keep getting an internet error. After downloading the stocks from Quicken, the system remains on line. There is no way to depart from the internet.
User Rating: 1/10
PLEASE keep Quicken 2003!
Pros: None that have anything more to offer than what was in Quicken 2003.
Cons: Almost too numerous to mention. Most annoying is entering a sale transaction. Only the principle is listed in the "Investment amount" column (the gross amount, not net after commission). Yet when a purchase is added, the commission IS included in the tot
User Rating: 3/10
Customer Service is non-existent.
Pros: Quicken has always been fairly easy to use. Set-up has always been good.
Cons: Quicken now suffers from "Microsoft-itis" where the program has become so big, clumsy and a memory/CPU hog. The worst part of this product, and the sole reason I will never buy quicken again is Customer Support (or the total lack thereof!).
User Rating: 2/10
Too many bugs to list, hangs more than works!
Pros: Looks pretty when it is running.
Cons: The interface locks up my computer when I try to update. It creates errors more often than not when I try to start the program. the program uses up all of my RAM then locks up my system. It is clear that QA was not a priority in creating this program.
User Rating: 1/10
A Giant Step backward
Pros: Nice bright red CD cover
Cons: Web connect data does not download. Chat help says: go pay for it. Phone help says: lets do the same thing over and over and keep doing it even though it has not fixed the problem the first 4 times. Honest! Six hours on the phone with three people. At lea
User Rating: 3/10
IF IT WERE FREE !!! DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!!!
Pros: Updating from 2000 went well.
Cons: Consumes all of my 256mb RAM, requiring close and reopen from scratch. Printing reports can't make them fit page. Had to change some of accounts that ran on previous versions. AND MANEY MORE OTHER PROBLEMS !!!
User Rating: 3/10
Prepare to pay
Pros: None over prior
Cons: Quicken have become pirates requiring you to pay (a lot!) just to keep active online financial institution downloads. Something they have no involvement in! Rape and plunder
User Rating: 5/10
Extorted upgrade from Quicken 2000
Pros: Everything works so far.
Cons: I rec'd an email from Intuit saying that they are discontinuing online svcs. for Q2000, so if I want to continue online svcs. with my bank, I better upgrade to Q2004. TurboTax 2002 didn't let me import info from Q2000, so the writing was on the wall. $4
User Rating: 7/10
This is a travesty of programming!
Pros: Check writing is very good.
Cons: Backup procedures do not work in many cases.
User Rating: 6/10
READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY
Pros: In general it's okay. Improving interface. More pleasant to look at. Graphs look much nicer. Easy to use. Tech support is okay (contrary to other postings), you can chat with a live person online. But again, phone support sucks. Well, just don't bother
Cons: Serious bug if you trade stocks, reported the bug but nothing has happened yet. Gone is the mini-portfolio option from the home page (1st page) where you customize everything. Meaning: You can't see what stocks/funds you're holding and their coorespond
User Rating: 2/10
Would not work, got refund and returned to 2003.
Pros:
Cons: This would not run on my win 2000 pro machine. It kept crashing. I have been a quicken user for 10 years and after hours on support, had to bail and go back to 2003. Not recommended.
User Rating: 4/10
Bugs and ZERO support.
Pros: New online features work nicely as a demo, but...
Cons: New online features are cumbersome, difficult in the real world, and Intuit offers ZERO support and ZERO documentation.
User Rating: 2/10
Collapsed under 7 years of date
Pros: Niced report features
Cons: Quicken 2004 corrupted 7 years of personal finance data. Customer support claims that their product does not support 7 years of data, so think about that before buying. Maybe they should have called it "Quicken 2004 Premier for Children".
User Rating: 2/10
Quicken 2004 has major problem,not worth price for upgrade
Pros: Usual Quicken --
Cons: I have used Quicken for over 10 years. This year I am really goofed by upgrading.Wish I could go back to 2003. Investment module is sloppy - has no provision for "Bond Sale". If you use Stock sale-- Then capital gains are inaccurate -- counts return of
User Rating: 4/10
Full of Bugs!
Pros: Great features and interface.
Cons: Crashes often during one step update. Crashes when attempting to make a back-up. Sometimes just crashes for no apparent reason.
User Rating: 3/10
Had MAJOR problem
Pros: Lot of features, runs well if there are no problems
Cons: Quicken, working with Citibank, provides a credit card whose transactions download directly into Quicken. This is usually a time saver. However, in June Intuit/Citibank upgraded the download system due, I believe, to errors that started in early June. S
User Rating: 1/10
Full of Bugs, no support, back to 2003
Pros: Only used it a day, before going back to Quicken 2003
Cons: New Investment Register hard to use Product Crashes all the time Net Worth Reports incorrect Not fully tested Quicken never reponds to bug reports
User Rating: 4/10
Very hard to work with
Pros: Flexibility in various reports. Usefull transactions can be downloaded from the Web.
Cons: It's very hard to properly classify investment information downloaded from the Web. This should be a time saver but is instead very cumbersome. There is no easy way to remove a checking account linked to an investment account and link a different checki
User Rating: 2/10
EASILY the worst version ever!
Pros: everything good from prior versions has been removed.
Cons: A prime example of what happens when you let the marketing department design the software. According to tech support, all of the bugs are features.
User Rating: 5/10
LOCKS UP COMPUTER
Pros: EASE OF USE.
Cons: ONLINE UPDATE LOCKS UP COMPUTER. NOT A GREAT UPDATE FOR A ANNIVERSARY EDITION
User Rating: 7/10
Not worth upgrading from Quicken 2003
Pros: Continues Quicken tradition except for integration with Palm-based Pocket Quicken (see cons)
Cons: When linked to Pocket Quicken, you must enter your Quicken password during every hotsync. This is a major limitation in my book!
