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Intuit Disables Features in Quicken To Force Upgrades
Numerous people submitted a blurb from BoingBoing about Intuit disabling features in older versions of Quicken. Why the BoingBoing submitter and Mr. Doctorow are so upset about this I don't know; when you buy software that's dependent on a for-profit company to keep working, what do you expect?
From http://www.microsoft.com/uk/homepc/money/ProductDe tails.aspx?pid=003:
Internet-based services available for two (2) years after activation of Microsoft Money or 1 September 2007, whichever is earlier. See the Microsoft Money Internet-based services policy http://money.msn.com/Money/2005/GBR/IBSP.asp for details.
If you don't upgrade, you'll be able to use the software as before, but not the Internet-based services (AFAIK).
I work at a financial institution and am in charge of support for PFMs (Personal Finance Managers) including Microsoft Money and Quicken. The reason that Quicken is sunsetting support for online banking in 2001 and 2002 is that your online transactions actually come through Intuit's server, which accesses your bank server on your behalf. You can still use the older versions of Quicken, you just can't download transactions.
Microsoft Money on the other hand still works since it connects directly to the bank's OFX server. Although my bank only supports 2001 and newer, we have users that are actually connecting with Money 1999 with no problems.
I received a similar letter a few weeks back and immediately called my bank to find out if this was really going to affect my ability to use their online banking services. They told me that this will NOT cause any problems and I DON'T have to upgrade to continue using their online banking system. The only thing that I'll lose is my ability to Intuit's help desk, which I'll never do anyways.
Call your bank and check. You probably don't have to bother with it.
Quicken's Sunset Policy
FAQ
As I recall, a couple years ago Intuit came under fire for their production activation scheme and their draconian copy protection in TurboTax, which secretly installed code in the boot sector of the hard drive to prevent the CD from being copied, but also apparently caused some CD writers drives to stop working properly and was near impossible to get rid of. It turned into a major PR nightmare for them, as word spread quickly across the internet of what TurboTax was doing to people's PCs. A good number of their customers left for TaxCut. Several months later, Intuit was forced to admit publically what a dumb decision it was.
Well, it appears that Intuit did not learn their lesson, as this is likely to turn into another PR nightmare for them. How do companies become so dumb?
There's a link to http://www.intuit.com/support/quicken/sunset/. You can see the official reason there.
I you'd RTFA, you would have found a link to the official line of Intuit.
I got fed up with Intuit's bug-ridden software and abysmal tech. support in 2003 and switched to MoneyDance. The GUI isn't as slick, but I ended up spending way less time on finances because the program's well-written and well supported. Instead of talking to tech. support people on the other side of the world who are just reading from a support database you can get email back from one of the developer's in a couple of hours and your questions are answered quickly, accurately, and for free.
I looked at some open source programs at the time, but the big draw for me to MoneyDance initially was it will automatically download transactions from my bank, and there's a great matching algorithm to stick the transactions in the right budget category.
I used to work for Intuit UK and they were bastards.
Intuit in general are bastards.
Any time you try to import a text transaction file (QFX), the program calls home to see if the organization you downloaded from paid its "Quicken Tax".
When I called tech support because I was getting an error message when trying to import, Intuit told me that "my bank doesn't support Macs", even though I already had the QFX file.
Me: "I don't understand. I have the file, but Quicken won't import it."
Tech: "Your bank doesn't support Macs."
Me: "Why does my bank need to 'support' Macs? I have the text file, but Quicken won't import it."
Think how ridiculous it would be if Excel wouldn't import a CSV file until it called back to MS to verify that author paid an "MS Tax" (insert DRM/Palladium comment here)?
Anyway, I got around the issue by opening the file and changing the "Institution ID" to a bank that has "paid the tax". By simply changing a few characters in the file, Quicken happily imported it.
It's under the Termination Provision:
"Yellow journalism" refers to the use of yellow ink in the printing of an old sensationalist newspaper, The New York World.
It was brought to the pinnacle of sleaziness by William Randolph Hearst, who used his empire to destroy the hemp industry, foster anti-immigrant sentiment, and commit numerous other evils.
I realize it sounds racist, but it ain't.
Switch to TaxAct for taxes.
I did last year after the DRM fiasco, and had no problems at all.
FROM: inuits own webpage.
*Retirement of Online Services for older versions of Quicken
In an ongoing effort to provide reliable high-quality products and services, Intuit periodically retires (also known as "sunsets") older versions of Quicken, thereby discontinuing Online Services & Live Technical Support for these versions.
Under this policy, the most current version of Quicken (currently Quicken 2005), plus the prior two versions, will be supported, subject to certain exceptions. Sunsetting older versions of Quicken allows us to focus resources on enhancing our products and providing support for more current versions, which are used by the vast majority of Quicken customers. The result: a better customer experience for millions of Quicken users.
When a Quicken product is scheduled to be sunset, Intuit will provide affected customers with advance notice, generally by means of this Web site. We update this Web site periodically, so please visit us again for more information as it becomes available.**
wouldn't be a problem if they published those sunset dates on their boxes - but guess again do they... "will work for 4 years" or something on a box would be fair, when that's exactly what they intend to do - it's not even about if the software would keep working, it's a built in(or coming from an update) death date that's PLANNED and has nothing to do with keeping them operational costing them(expect them costing in the way that they could try to force the client to upgrade.. extort money).
mods, hey, how about reading the story before moderating????
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
slashdot - inaccurate comments about anything modded insightful.
http://www.intuit.com/support/quicken/sunset/
dunno how boing boing makes up stuff that appears on intuits site...
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Half right; it does refer to the W.R. Hearst-style of imperial, pandering journalism, but it does not originate from the color of ink used, but rather because of the war between Hearst's and Pulitzer's papers over 'The Yellow Kid', the first popular comic strip.
l ow +kid%22+%22yellow+journalism%22&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22yel
Here is a the link, (from the article quoted in the Michael's story), to the Intuit statement:
http://www.intuit.com/support/quicken/sunset/
where Intuit states (amidst the spin doctoring):
And as you tread the halls of sanity, You feel so glad to be, Unable to go beyond. I have a message, From another time..
From the Quicken Software License Agreement:
Your access may be limited from time to time, depending on the service provided by your internet service provider or your financial institution or other third party. You may be billed for these Online Services by your financial institution or other third party, not Intuit, and such financial institution or other third party may have its own service agreement which will govern the Online Services it provides. You agree to be responsible for all telephone charges associated with your Internet and Online Service usage. You may be required to register with Intuit or a third party in order to use Online Services. Your use of Online Services may be subject to additional terms and conditions. All Online Services are subject to change.
I see no mention of "perpetual use" there.
Not quite right.
The bank was FAXING customer financials to the junk yard owner for several years. He finally sued to recover the costs of fax supplies - and presumably effort.
-- Dan Jenkins, Rastech Inc.
There used to be a website about it, but I seem to have missplaced the link.
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
Once I've purchased something, whether it's a truck or a piece of software, I expect it to keep working. If the stereo or the rear window defogger fail, I expect to be able to get them repaired (possibly at my expense). If the stereo and rear window defogger fail because Ford deliberately did something to turn them off, I expect to sue Ford's ass off.
If a feature of the software stops working due to a deliberate action of the vendor, I expect to call them up and have them turn it back on. Failing that, I expect to sue them, or join a class action suit.
If when I bought the software, the packaging and license clearly stated that the XYZ feature would only work for three years, that would be another matter.
I was horrified to get a notice from Paytrust recently about them joining with Intuit. I assume they were bought by Intuit.
Intuit has gotten so anti-consumer over the years. I almost wish Microsoft had won the lawsuit between the two companies, just out of spite.
When the Quicken yearly upgrade routine began in the late 90's, I migrated to GNUCash, then evenually went to using a basic OpenOffice spreadsheet for my account handling. I had been a loyal, paying user since the DOS days.
I was a major Turbo Tax paying customer for many years, too. Then they pulled that stupid DRM scheme a few years back. I tried an alternative suggested by a Slashdot poster (Tax Act, I think?), but that was only for a year, as I felt it was an inferior product. The next year, I went to H&R Block, which I'll proabably continue to do until I can file a EZ form again (maybe in a few years).
I absolutely love Paytrust -- I manage all of my bills and loans with it. However, I'm drafting a letter to physically mail to them once I've converted all of my accounts to an alternative or back to the check and post office routine again. I must tell them that Intuit has proven itself to be anti consumer, so I can't in god faith remain with an affiliated company.
I doubt they'll take notice, though. Such a shame.
Method of processing duck feet
The moral of this story is, avoid software products that operate off of the "sofware as a service" model.
Imagine if you bought a car that relied on special gas that the manufacturer would stop producing in 3 years. Would you buy such a car?
Lee
Muslim community leaders warn of backlash from tomorrow morning's terrorist attack.