[NTLUG:Discuss] [Fwd: Tax filing in Linux? How-to...]

[Greg Edwards]

Kevin Brannen wrote:
> 
> Yep.  One of things preventing me from dumping my MS OS is Quickbooks.  
> I sort of solved that by running it under VMware.  For a little extra 
> money, I could dump QB totally by hiring my accountant to do my books 
> for me, but I'm "cheap", especially when my accounting needs are so 
> small. :-)  OTOH, that may become a reality as Intuit has ticked me off 
> for the last time with all their shenanigans in Quickbooks 2004.  I plan 
> to never buy another version of QB as long as I live.  My tax account 
> would be happy if I switched to Peachtree; alas, they have no Linux 
> version either (so VMware would have to stay on my system for that).
> 
> Kevin
> 

I ran Peachtree under VMware for several years without any problems.  I 
tried it under Crossover but I didn't have any real luck.  I liked 
Crossover as a concept but I had to pull it due to allot of side effects 
with Mozilla.

Desktop publishing, accounting, and games (for Home) are the only reasons 
that I have any M$ workstations.  JMHO, unless Intuit, peripheral 
manufacturers, and game builders decide to support Linux whole heartedly, 
folks will need 2 systems (or dual boot) if they want Linux.  Since most 
people are not able to run a network, or only have 1 computer, Linux will 
not be choice #1.

Reality is that Intuit is top dog in their world, so everyone will follow 
their lead.  Game builders and hardware manufacturers are not interested 
in Linux because of the open source issue.  When it comes to drivers the 
OSS community can't keep up.  We as a community need to figure out a happy 
medium so that the video, printer, scanner, DVD, etc. manufacturers will 
build the drivers for Linux that provide the same functionality as 
Windows, in the same time frame.  This "absolute" requirement that some 
have to open source is keeping a muzzle on Linux for the desktop.


I got real tired of Peachtree's annual $$$ bite for upgrades.  The cost vs 
benefit factor gets tilted in their favor quickly.  What they do is tie 
their payroll tax tables into the upgrades so your tables are out of date 
if you don't upgrade.  But, as I did, you can figure out how to manually 
update the tables.

What problems did you have with QB?  I switched from Peachtree to QB last 
year.  Intuit's approach to having a tax product that can pull your data 
from your regular accounting package is what sold me on trying QB.  I'm 
real tired of digging out the details just to fill out the forms each year.

We probably should take this off list.

-- 
Greg Edwards

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