I've been using Quicken since the DOS days, have been a software analyst working with corporate ERP software, been around the software block a bit in my day. I had great expectations for Quicken 2011, after reading some of the glowing reviews from alleged beta testers, touting the "best Quicken ever". I'm not sure I understand the excitement. One feature that was pretty informative was the Cash Flow panel, which showed you how much you took in, how much you spent, and a bottom line for the month. GONE! They took the most useful feature out of the product. I remember when 2010 was being hyped, they showed this new Cash Flow panel with the IN/OUT/REMAINING concept, and I loved it. So, instead of perhaps tweaking any minor issues they may have had with it, they chose to just throw the baby out with the bath water. I'm utterly amazed. So, I figure, if they got rid of such a useful baseline measure of your overall finances, they must have introduced something newer and better, right? Nope. Nothing. They have an applet that you can add to your home page that shows your spending for the period. Great, I thought, now let me find the applet that shows my income for the period, and that will serve me almost as well as the 2010 solution. Gee, doesn't seem to exist. What in Heaven's name is Intuit thinking? For anyone using 2010, trying to decide whether to upgrade to 2011? Trust me, skip it. This is the obvious result of having absolutely no other commercial competitor in your market. For any software geniuses out there, now would be a great time to throw a product together and compete with Quicken. And please, give me a way to see my overall Cash Flow in an easy to understand, management level graph, on a single page.
12/2/2010 update:
I just downloaded and installed the R4 update. The Intuit folks restored the In/Out/Remaining functionality, via a custom view that you can add to your home page. It didn't automatically show up for me, I had to customize my home page and add it. That makes a big difference to me, as it's a good general barometer of my overall monthly income and spending, in basically a snapshot view. Given Intuit's response to customer calls for this feature, I am raising my rating from two stars to five stars. While there are still some enhancements I would like to see, with respect to accruals of no-interest payment promotions on credit cards, I have been using Quicken since 1992. I am very pleased that Intuit responded to customer needs and added an important enhancement to one of their maintenance updates, something I didn't expect at all from them. I no longer consider this Quicken a downgrade. It is more lateral than anything, and you wouldn't be missing much if you stayed at Quicken 2010. But it is a good overall product, and it deserves a good rating as it stands now.
I was not a beta tester and was not "encouraged" to write a glowing review by Intuit. This review only speaks to the question of whether this is a worthwhile upgrade from the 2010 version. The 2011 version contains very few new features when compared to the 2010 version. Whether you find these new features worth the upgrade price is debatable. The quicken site is a bit misleading in their "new features" list since many of the items they mention were already in the 2010 version. As with past Quicken upgrades, they largely give you MORE of a existing feature, and not much in the way of new features. So, for example, MORE banks are supported for direct connect. MORE transactions can be automatically categorized since auto-categorization already existed. So in these cases, if your banks are already supported and you don't use auto-categorization, then these enhancements are irrelevant. So for those thinking of upgrading from 2010, here's the list of only NEW features in the 2011 version:
- All Transactions register: This could be handy if you use many accounts and want to enter, maintain and view your transactions in one place. However, if you download transactions from your banking and investment institutions, the download window does not show up when you are in this mode, so you will be forced to continue using the individual account registers anyway.
- Register customization: You can decide which columns appear in each individual register. Transaction Notes can now be shown/edited as a column instead of treating them like an attachment.
- Attachment Encryption: I'm fairly certain this wasn't in the prior version. I guess you can now password protect attachments.
- The usual "Where's Waldo" changes to the program: They've moved menu items and eliminated speed button lists in registers. I imagine they did this to make the interface "look" simpler/cleaner, but now you have to rummage through the menus to find them. So, for example, the "Live Community" speed button was eliminated; It is now found as a "Help" menu item. Also, each account's "Overview" speed button has been eliminated; You now find that in the "Account Actions" menu. Since it is likely that the eliminated speed buttons were rarely needed by most users, the changes will be well received.
That's it! Is it worth the upgrade? You decide.
Quicken Home & Business 2011 gives you the personal finance features found in Quicken Premier plus tools that make it easy to see how your home business is doing.
Always know how your home-based business is doing.
Helps maximize deductions and simplify your taxes.
Easily Organizes Your Personal and Business Finances
Manages Both Your Personal and Business Finances Together in One Place
Organizes your financial information by bringing your personal and home-based business accounts together in one place--including banking, credit card, loan, 401(k), and investing accounts. Avoid the hassle of going to multiple websites: see your complete financial picture with just one password. Access over 12,000 banks, brokerages and other financial institutions--including PayPal.See Where Your Money's Going
Quicken Home & Business automatically categorizes your personal and home business expenses. Then, Quicken shows you where you're spending your money, including both business and personal expenses. Check in anytime to see exactly where your personal and business finances are for the week, month or year.Always Know How Your Home-Based Business Is Doing
View your business profit and loss at a glance: Quicken Home & Business gives you an overall snapshot of what's coming in for the month, what's going out, and what's left in your accounts.Helps Maximize Deductions and Simplify Your Taxes
Captures all your deductions, including mileage and expenses for specific jobs, or even household expenses that you can partially write off. The business tax deduction summary lets you instantly see your tax deduction status throughout the year to help avoid any April 15th surprises. At tax time, save time by creating Schedule C reports for your accountant. You can also easily export your data directly to TurboTax to prepare your taxes quickly and accurately.Simplifies Estimating and Invoicing
Easily create, print, and save professional-looking estimates and invoices for your clients and customers. Comprehensive investing and planning tools help you easily track, analyze, and optimize your investment portfolio.
Know your risk vs. return.
Provides Comprehensive Investing and Planning Tools
Easily track, analyze, and optimize your investment portfolio. You can see changes in assets, liabilities, and net worth with one click: we show how your investments are performing across all your accounts.Helps You Make Better Buy/Sell Decisions
We identify your top-performing investments and compare your portfolio to the market, so you can make smart decisions on buying or selling. For example, use Morningstar Ratings to compare mutual funds and see which ones best fit your investment management goals.Getting Started Is a Breeze
It's simpler than ever to put Quicken to work for you--so you can reach your personal finance goals faster. With the new Guided Setup, you just answer a few simple questions; we'll show you how Quicken works, and what to do next. You'll see your total financial picture come into focus even sooner than you expect.Create--and Stay--on Budget
We make it easy to get on--and stay on--a budget. Quicken automatically sets up budget goals based on your historical spending. You can easily customize your plan, and Quicken then tracks your progress.Save for the Things Most Important to You
Quicken Deluxe can also help you create customized plans to reduce/eliminate debt--and to save for a house, college, retirement or large purchase.Never Miss a Bill
See what bills have already been paid, what's coming up, and if you have enough left in your accounts to cover them--all in one convenient place. Set reminders to pay bills on time and instantly check the status of past bills so you can avoid those pesky late fees!Easily Uncover Any Unusual Account Activity
We've made it easier to review your transactions, so you can quickly spot anything that looks inaccurate or out of place. If a transaction requires follow-up, you can flag it with a reminder. Shows you how to minimize taxes on your investments.
View all your accounts in one place.
See exactly where your money's going with auto-categorization.
Simplify Taxes With TurboTax
Quicken pairs perfectly with TurboTax to save you time. Easily export your data directly to TurboTax for fast and accurate tax preparation.100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not 100% satisfied, return your Quicken 2011 personal finance software with your dated receipt within 60 days of purchase for a refund of the purchase price (return shipping and handling charges not included).Get Tips From Other Quicken Users
With Quicken Live Community, you can get help and advice from other Quicken users without ever leaving Quicken. If you have a question about something specific you're trying to do, just look to Live Community on the right of the Quicken screen for the answer.Enjoy Free Support When You Buy, Install or Upgrade Quicken
If you need help purchasing, installing or upgrading your new Quicken personal finance software, free phone support is available. For more information, visit our Help & Support site.Easily Import From Microsoft Money
If you've been using Microsoft Money personal finance software, we can help you transfer your valuable financial information to Quicken. With our easy-to-use Data Converter tool, you'll be up-and-running with Quicken in practically no time.What's New in Quicken 2011
Improved--See Exactly Where Your Money's Going With Auto Categorization!
Automatically categorizes more of your expenses with greater accuracy so you don't have to manually enter or edit them.New--Stay on Top of Your Day to Day Finances
Get a better picture of what you have coming in, going out, and most importantly, what's left over to spend or save with our completely redesigned cash flow graph. See how much money you have left after upcoming bills and income.Improved--Find the Tools You Need, Faster
The most commonly used features have moved front and center, making them easy to find.Improved--Quicken Updates Faster Than Ever
When it comes to your money, time is precious: Quicken updates your transactions using a speedier account download process.Improved--Customize Your Register to Fit Your Needs
The new Quicken layout lets you see your information exactly how you'd like: easily resize, sort and hide columns.New--Stock Quotes Automatically Update
Stock quotes updated every 15 minutes so you always know your portfolio's value.Product Description
Organizes your personal and home based business finances in one place. Identifies tax-deductible home business expenses. Shows your profit and loss at a glance. Creates customized invoices and estimates. Creates Schedule C reports to save you time on taxes. 
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