Quicken Wins Battle of the Upgrades
Personal finance software shows how computing can actually improve your life, not just make it more complicated.</br></br>Sure, an automated checkbook register is handy, but the real value of this software -- pioneered by Intuit's Quicken -- is the perspective it yields on your money. With all the numbers in one place, combined with powerful analytic tools, you can see where you've been earning it and spending it, as well as how much you may have later on. This insight makes it easier to control your finances instead of having them control you. That's pretty powerful stuff.</br></br>This year's versions of Quicken and its main rival, Microsoft Money, go about that goal in different ways, not all of which work.</br></br>Finally, a real upgrade: Intuit's Quicken 2003 (Win95 or newer/ Win2000 or newer, $30 Basic, $60 Deluxe, $80 Premier; Mac OS 9.2.2 or newer/Mac OS X 10.1.4 or newer, $60) represents a major improvement over earlier offerings.</br></br>Quicken's user setup has become friendlier, and the program no longer imitates a Web page so slavishly -- secondary windows open in separate frames, so you can refer from one to the other. The more flexible account bar shows more information and organizes it better, and "My Data" pages deliver convenient one-page reports on your accounts.