So I figured it was about time to upgrade to Quicken 2010. Big mistake!

I like Spb Finance as a portable check and cash register. Don't have to manually retype anything in Quicken (2007, that is).

Upgrade to Quicken 2010. Everything goes smoothly on the desktop side.

Come to sync Spb Finance, get "cannot parse Quicken data"

Turns out for security reasons, Quicken has changed the export data format from QIF to QFX (a Quicken-specific version of the open .OFX financial data exchange format).

Spb web site announces because of file data format changes by Intuit, in 2006, they stopped supporting Quicken as of Quicken version 2006 (it still works with Quicken 2007 strangely enough).

There is a kludgey work around that presumes you pretty much want to go from handheld to desktop most of the time and not download to your Omnia.

To get categories, memorized transactions into Spb Finance, export a QIF file of all TRANSACTIONS only, nothing else, to your Documents on Omnia i910 folder (or whatever you call it). It will sync automatically to your My Documents folder on the Omnia if you have file synchronization turned on. Create an account with the same name in Spb Finance. Import the transactions and Spb Finance will build a category list and a memorized transactions list from your imported transactions. Do the same for any other account.

Now when you want to export the latest transactions from Spb Finance, use a date filter to create a .QIF file and only export the tranactions since your last desktop update from Spb Finance. Import the .QIF file to the proper Quicken account. Q2010 for security reasons will only allow .QIF files to be imported into cash, assets or liability accounts, not checking, credit, or other financial institution accounts. So to get checks from your checking account off Spb Finance, you will have to create a dummy "cash" account in Quicken, import any checks from Spb Finance to that account and then copy and paste the transactions to the actual real desktop checking account in Q2010.

Sounds like fun, huh?

With the demise of Microsoft Money, there ain't too many options out there (unless you get an iPhone). Quicken supports iPhone Mobile web-based app and a web-based app that's geared towards allowing Quicken to access your financial institution data and make an integrated web-based picture of your accounts. How much do you trust Intuit with the logons to all your financial institutions!?!

__________________
-Jim-

Use every part of the buffalo - Brad Bird

That is a bummer. I used to use Quicken 2007 and really liked it, aside from having to manually enter many items.

I have been using mint.com for about a year and it is really smooth. Intuit Quicken just bought mint.com about two months ago. So far the sight has not changed.

The thing it lacks that you probably primarily use spb finance for is that you cannot add a transaction using you device or anything else. It only populates via sync with your bank accounts online. So it is really only a 'one stop shop' to all your financial info in one website, kinda like quicken's reporting features and monthly summaries.

The benefits are:
- Can be accessed from the omnia web browser. I use Opera.
- It has custom budgeting and auto-categorizing that is pretty slick. No manually adding stuff, just making sure to correct some categories the initial time and setting rules that ensures those transactions are categorized correctly the next time.

I have spb finance, but have not been driven to use it due to the usefulness of mint.com.

Thanks for the suggestion, knipknup.

I use Spb Finance to keep track of where cash spending goes, also as a portable electronic check register so I don't have to re-enter the transaction again in Quicken. I could just wait until the check clears and is downloaded via Quicken but then some people don't cash checks and you forget that they are outstanding and for what amount!

Quicken 2010 is pretty handy for being able to customize tabs and the toolbar, popup registers, allowing you to have two or more registers open at the same time, etc. And also, Intuit will update it and maintain it's compatibility with Windows 7 a lot longer and a lot better than Quicken 2007, etc. So I'll see how I can get by with a crippled Spb Finance. Maybe Spb will update it or something else will come along (iMoney!?).

__________________
-Jim-

Use every part of the buffalo - Brad Bird

Man, this is going to hurt. Imagine my surprise opening Microsoft Money earlier this week and seeing it pop up an ad for Quicken 2010 in my face. Boy, they really ARE serious about abandoning this niche.

Up till now I have been using Microsoft money in conjunction with Ultrasoft Money on my Omnia. Worked great. I could enter credit card charges when on the road and have them sync back to the desktop when I got home.

I was thinking of moving to Quicken 2010 but now this little news sets me back on my heels.

Do I have to give up this extremely useful aspect?
What about Quicken's web based version? As a internet security professional, I DO NOT TRUST cloud computing.

Options:
Keep with current configuration and tolerate sunsetted products.
Move to Quicken 2010 and give up doing finance on the Omnia.
Move to Quicken 2010 and use cloud computing version when traveling.

Doesn't Yahoo or Google have some alternatives?

Has anyone tried Pocket Quicken? Although they don't mention Quicken 2010 support yet, 2009 is covered.

Pocket Quicken

Of course, the cost is almost as high as Quicken itself!

Thanks for the tip! I had looked at the Pocket Quicken web site but not carefully enough! Here's what it says under System Requirements:

Desktop Requirements

Windows XP, Vista
ActiveSync 4.21 or later
US/Canadian: Quicken 2004 through 2010, (emphasis mine)

Time to unpack Pocket Quicken v2.5. I just assumed since I've had it since way before Quicken 2007 that it would suffer the same compatibility problems as Spb Finance v2.8

BTW, I like Quicken DELUXE 2010 A LOT better than Quicken 2007. If you click on the drop-down box for a category, it shows you all the categories you've ever used for that Payee in a nice flyout box, etc. If you use voice recognition to dictate entries as I do and invariably leave a space after the ":" (colon) before a subcategory, Q2010 automatically removes the superfluous and troublesome space, etc.
So "Recreation: Hiking" automatically become "Recreation:Hiking"

EDIT: Oops! Bad typo! I have corrected mistaken reference to "Pocket Quicken 2010" - meant the desktop version.

__________________
-Jim-

Use every part of the buffalo - Brad Bird

Hmm. Maybe I'll consider this conversion (both desktop and hand-held) immediately after the new year. A new fiscal year would be the logical time to do this.

Thanks! Good, highly informative article.

__________________
-Jim-

Use every part of the buffalo - Brad Bird