Intuit Updates QuickBooks for Mac

Intuit released a new version of its popular QuickBooks accounting program for Mac-based small businesses. QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac incorporates enhancements designed to address the unique needs of Mac-based small business owners.

QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac is one of the easiest Mac-based accounting solutions for everyday bookkeeping tasks, offering advanced tools like job costing, time-tracking, estimating and payroll capabilities. The product was designed for Mac-based small businesses by Intuit’s dedicated Macintosh development team.

The program retains the same familiar and easy-to-use Mac interface of the previous version, while offering greater data sharing capabilities and new customization options this time around. As with the previous version, QuickBooks Pro Edition 6.0 for Mac is optimized for Mac OS X and supports Mac OS 9.

Anouk Holleran, Intuit business leader for Macintosh products, said customer input played a key role in determining QuickBooks Pro’s operational enhancements.

“Listening to customers is our number one priority,” said Holleran said. “New features as well as improvements on last year’s version were a direct response to what our users were telling us.”

One of the things Mac users wanted is the ability to easily share QuickBooks Mac data with Windows users. QuickBooks Pro Edition 6.0 for Mac allows for a two-way, seamless data interchange between Mac users and their Windows-based accountants. A simple menu selection converts the QuickBooks file to Windows, which can then be e-mailed to Windows-based computers. Conversion is equally easy going from Windows to Mac — users simply open the Windows file in QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac, and the data is automatically converted to the Mac format.

Andrew Miller, a QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac beta tester, said QuickBooks doesn’t need to be a desktop publishing program — Excel does that just fine

“Being compatible with Excel means that both products play to their strengths,” Miller said.

In addition to QuickBooks’ Windows-to-Mac-and-back reporting flexibility, the program can now export reports to Microsoft Excel 2001 or X for Mac, for further customization and analysis. The exported file includes formulas for subtotals and totals, as well as formatting for font, size and color. Small businesses can then analyze, customize and work with others on their reports without having to re-enter data, formulas or formatting.

QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac’s customization options provides small businesses with the flexibility they’re used to on the Mac platform. The new release includes a more customizable toolbar that allows users to add and remove chosen icons representing their favorite forms. Users can now customize reports by dragging and dropping select columns and by sorting by columns.

QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac is also trying to help small business owners’ work smarter, by increasing efficiency and productivity tools that save time in the back office. Invoices, statements and reports can readily be sent electronically using Adobe’s Acrobat (PDF) format. The “Email as PDF” feature saves the selected item as a PDF file and automatically attaches it to an email, ready to address and send. The feature is available only to Mac OS X customers. Customers can send e-mail using Apple Mail 1.2.5, Microsoft Entourage X for Mac Version 10.1.0,and Eudora Version 5.2.1.

QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac also protects against data loss by offering users the ability to automatically back up data files. Users can select the frequency of backups they want to create, and QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac will automatically save the files to a hard drive, writable CD-ROM, or other medium.

Pricing and Availability
QuickBooks Pro 6.0 for Mac is now available for a suggested retail price of $299.95. Existing QuickBooks customers are eligible for a $100 rebate; the final price for the upgrade is $199.95. The package can be purchased at Amazon.com, Apple Retail Stores, CompUSA, and other national retail outlets, as well as online, direct from Intuit. QuickBooks users that need a little local assistance with installation, set-up and advice can find a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor online.

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Small Business Computing Staff
Small Business Computing Staff
Small Business Computing addresses the technology needs of small businesses, which are defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees and/or less than $7 million in annual sales.

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