Customer Reviews
QB Mac is not what you are expecting 
2006-05-09
I've used the PC version for nearly 10 years and was very happy with QB. I switched to a Mac platform over a year ago and finally moved to QB for mac. I was hesitant based upon the reviews. The reviews were correct. Don't waste your money on this mac stepchild of a program. It locks up more than any other mac program I have ever run and the payroll is terrible. On the pc version you have control over your payroll with the tables you download. Not with the mac version, you subscribe to a service. I have had problems copying files from the third party service to the QB register. They are aware of the problem and their "developers are looking into a solution" Don't waste your time and money if you can hold on to the PC version. Its obvious intuit doesnt' want to put much investment into mac right now.
A quick note for Aatrix sufferers... 
2006-02-10
Firstly, I must say that I have no problems with the functionality of Quickbooks 6. It works fine for what I need, I've experienced little to no bugs or problems, and I actually like it. This review is written for those who will need to do PAYROLL, and is therefore aimed at the Aatrix part of the package:
I rarely ever write reviews, but felt compelled to do so after seeing that I am apparently one of many who have been beaten to a pulp by Intuit's (for Mac) use of Aatrix Payroll software.
A few weeks ago I resorted to searching the web for answers to my MANY Aatrix issues as my recent support calls to Aatrix regarding THEIR BUGGY SOFTWARE GLITCHES had me on hold for 3 hours (but only a mere 45 minutes the next day). And no, it was NOT an 800 number. The tech staff was very nice and helpful, but 3 HOURS ON HOLD????? I'm NOT exaggerating. Thank god for speaker phones, but it still ruined my day. What I did find on the web was LEGIONS of people having the same woes as me.
I do give Aatrix credit for stepping in when Intuit failed to support the Mac community by not including this basic payroll function in their for Mac products. However, after using (and being abused) by Aatrix for the past 5 years, I finally reached my limit and searched for a Mac-based payroll alternative. Believing that I was somehow stuck with Aatrix, I was thrilled to find another company that not only makes one, but makes a far cheaper, easier, and IMHO superior program:
CheckMark Payroll. They even sell it here at Amazon.com
And the best part is, YOU CAN IMPORT TO QUICKBOOKS. So far all my pay data has landed safely and perfectly in QB6. I could go point-for-point and compare, but please take my word. It is SOOOOOOO much simpler to use. No more jumping through hoops, no bugs, no missing numbers, no crashes, works like a charm, AND CHEAPER. Yes the Aatrix comes free now if you buy QB (I stuck to my old classic QB4 merely to avoid having to do tax reports and forms and such all in Aatrix, and therefore have paid probably $1000. in version and tax table updates), but you'll want to bash your head against the nearest concrete wall before too long. My head still hurts, by the way. My advice would be to buy the QB6 if you want it, but forget Aatrix all together. You'll waste far more time (=money) on this "initially free" program than the cost of buying CheckMark.
Thank you CheckMark. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
Crashes and data corruption are Intuit's Quickbooks & Quicken high points 2006-02-09
Data is constantly corrupted causing Quickbooks 2006 to constantly and eventually crash on Macs. I recommend steering clear of all Intuit products until they manage to keep data integrity. Nothing like being unable to use your accounting software because it keeps crashing despit data verification and rebuilds. You have been warned. I wish I was.
Be careful before you buy Quickbooks 
2005-01-26
Not a bad software, but the caveat is that you MUST pay every year to upgrade in case you are planning to get new TAX TABLES. After your software is only one year old, it WILL NOT run the new TAX TABLES. Believe it or not.
No to the payroll part of this software 2005-01-22
QuickBooks for Mac does a nice job in all respects except payroll. Do not buy this if you want to use the add on payroll software, TopPay by Aatrix. It has failed me miserably. Year end reports are incorrect and I have even had to resort to hand writing pay checks! Customer service can not be relied upon. I cannot stress how much time I have wasted trying to find and correct mistakes made in payroll. DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU WANT TO USE PAYROLL.
Thoroughly Disappointing 2004-10-27
MODEL- ITICD00796MC VENDOR- INTUIT, INC. FEATURES- QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for MAC Share Information Easily With Others... Share QuickBooks data between Mac and Windows (New). Experience greater efficiency, communication, and collaboration with Windows users, such as your accountant. QuickBooks: Pro 6.0 for Mac allows you to share your QuickBooks Mac data with users of QuickBooks for Windows. You can send your Mac data to Windows and Windows users can send it back to Mac users. Export reports to Microsoft Excel (New). Want to further analyze your data in Microsoft Excel? With just a few clicks you can export selected reports, including formatting and formulas, to Microsoft Excel 2001 or X for Mac. Now you can further customize your reports and work with others on them, without re-entering data. Increase Your Efficiency By Using New Tools... E-mail invoices, statements, estimates, and reports (Improved). Easily e-mail invoices, statements, and reports to your co-workers, customers, or vendors. Simply choose "E-mail invoice" from the File menu, and the invoice is automatically attached to your e-mail, ready to address and send. If you prefer, you can also choose "Save Invoice as PDF" and attach it to an e-mail message yourself. Back up files automatically (New). Now you have the option to automatically back up your data. Choose where and when you want to save your file. You gain added protection against data loss - and you save time. Check for software updates (New). Its easy to stay up-to-date with br
I'd rather run Windows than Aatrix 2004-10-01
Running Aatrix payroll is anything but user-friendly. Aatrix goes out of their way say how Mac-friendly they are, yet the integration into QuickBooks is not seemless. I gave up, and switched my license to Windows 2000 running under Virtual PC on my Mac.
QuickBooks for Mac itself is the same as it's always been - a very forgiving accounting program with a decent interface. If you don't need payroll, I'd give it 5 stars.
Review of QuickBooks 6.0 for the Mac 
2004-06-10
QuickBooks Pro 2004, produced by Intuit, is a software program that allows you to manage the fiscal side of your business, such as invoices, estimates, timesheets, and payroll, among other things. It also has the ability to export to Microsoft Excel, allows for automatic backups, and, of course, the much welcomed file conversion capability from previous QuickBooks' formats. The QuickBooks line has always been highly respected in the financial field, and I was eager to dive in and begin running it through its paces.
The computer requirements, according to the overlay emblazoned upon the front of the software package, is Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X as an operating system; however, Intuit's website states more defined "recommended" requirements of the operating system, i.e., Mac OS 9.2.2, Mac OS 10.2.7, or Mac OS 10.3 as the minimal OS. The recommended system RAM is 128MB, the required hard drive space is 100MB. In addition, a CDROM and color monitor capable of supporting millions of colors and a minimum resolution of 1024 X 768 is needed. Requirements for use of an "add-on" product named Aatrix Top Pay may vary from what is used by QuickBooks Pro 2004.
Installing QuickBooks Pro 2004 is relatively easy, just insert the CDROM, the contents should then automatically appear on the desktop once the CD spins up, and then simply double-click the "QuickBooks Pro 6.0 Installer" icon and installation begins. Here is where I discovered the exacting requirements of an operating system needed to run QuickBooks. I attempted to install QuickBooks onto my Macintosh running Mac OS 9.1 but the installation stopped itself and informed me that Mac OS 9.2.2 is required. Okay, easy enough to fix but I really wanted to use it on that particular Mac and I did--and still do--not want to upgrade to Mac OS 9.2.2, so I ejected the CD, walked over to my iMac, and began the installation process over. After installation, I double-clicked the QuickBooks icon and was greeted with a registration screen warning that the program requires registration before your 25th use of QuickBooks. After I selected the remind-later option, I was presented with the actual program screen.
Keeping in pace with the Macintosh graphical user interface, the interface is nice and simple, and really easy to navigate. This simplicity carries over to your options, which are to open a user's guide, sample file, or existing file, or to create a new file. That is as straightforward as it gets.
QuickBooks Pro 2004 is very configurable. Once you are up and running, if there is anything you do not understand, an answer may usually be found in the provided user's guide or the online FAQ file at their website. And, yes, you can even call for telephone technical support which varies from annual support plans to a per-incident charge. It's up to you. In fact, I find the program so user-friendly--and it is not surprising because of its long history in the industry--that it seems to fit users with varying degrees of experience. Any user level from beginner to expert should feel quite comfortable navigating through the application.
As a few examples of the user-friendly orientation of the program, I provide the following overviews. One of the main tasks of business owners is building and viewing reports, and this program offers of one of the easiest report builders because it's built in! Payroll is actually handled by Aatrix Top Pay, utilizing the information in your QuickBooks file, and the way it works with QuickBooks is among the best examples of ease-of-use. Invoicing is just a click away. You select items to bill your customer from within the appropriate heading's contextual drop-down menu and QuickBooks fills in the rest. One thing I do like is the capability to "personalize" messages in a document, i.e., bill, invoice, etc., so you can include a simple "Thank you for your business" or anything else you would like to say to your customers. You choose what customer messages to include from a drop-down, and, yes, you can add or delete messages at will. Nice feature.
Bottom line: Does QuickBooks Pro 2004 perform well? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes.
thank you 'centuryvii' for your review 2004-06-09
I have been using version 5 for a couple of years now but would like the ability to download my bank statements since my banking institution is offering this for free for a year. However, after reading centuryvii's review I don't think I will be upgrading since Pro 6 doesn't offer this feature as well.
I was on the phone for quite some time with QuickBooks/Intuit but never did get a straight answer to this question.
I was hoping that downloading would be able as it is with Quicken but unfortunately...
Horrible 2004-02-06
The Mac version (6) just doesn't work like it should. I tried updating my company files from the windows version 2002- it took a great deal of time with tech support and there was no way it could be done by just reading the manual.
The fatal flaw however is with the payroll module by Aatrix. This thing is horrible. I might as well use a spread sheet. It would be easier!
