Intuit Quicken XG Startup

Quicken has its devotees, and they'd be as likely to swap from Celtic to Rangers as move across to Money. But what makes it so popular?

Quicken has a very different look to Microsoft Money - the default white backgrounds to pages give a much looser, less crowded feel, but in setup and use it's very similar. First, you give information about your financial status, and the process continues through setting goals, adding accounts, then producing a home page with all your information at a glance.

Quicken puts figures into a shape the less-numerate can quickly grasp, producing pie, flow and other charts to help you see why you are in the red and where you are headed. Planning is high on the agenda, as you project savings and retirement plans. You can print out cheques, and set up the calendar to ensure you don't miss payments of bills.

Intuit has recognised that many people use only a fraction of the tools on offer. Prioritising and neatness is everything in financial planning, and you can streamline it to focus on the bits you need. The 'My Data' tab gives an overview of tasks for today; and you can minimise reports or features at the bottom of the Quicken window.

Where we think Intuit has got it wrong with XG is in the complex pricing structure. The budget cut here is a three-month 'taster'. To stick with the program you have to upgrade to a package costing £60 or more. In fairness, XG is more of a business package than Money, offering sales ledgers and invoicing via email. The sting comes when you realise that you have paid for a 12-month installation - you will have to upgrade in a year to continue using online services. Many users would do that anyway, but it rankles.

But as an all-in-one financial minder it is hard to knock, working simply, tidily and at a fair price.

Contact: Intuit 0845 606 2161
www.quicken.co.uk

System Requirements:

• Windows 95 or above
• 133MHz or faster processor
• 32MB of Ram (64MB recommended, 128MB for XP)
• 110MB of free hard disk space
• Internet Explorer 5.5 or above
• Double-speed CD-Rom drive

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