Peachtree Software Reviews - Ripe for Picking, Or Still Bitter?

By Chris Robertson

If you're setting up a small business, you will have had to make quite a few decisions in the past months! Rent or buy? Hire employees, or DIY? Which suppliers should you use? What type of printer is best? Laptop or desktop? The list goes on, and the choice between the two major accounting software products, QuickBooks and Peachtree, is just another of these decisions. In the pre-internet days, we would turn to our friends and family for product and service recommendations. Nowadays the internet is more likely to be the place we turn for information about which accounting software will suit your business better. And while there is plenty of fantastic information that is very readily available online, there is also very little regulation of claims... today we check out what you need to look out for in reviews of accounting software, from Peachtree to QuickBooks and beyond, when trying to decide which will be best for your business.

Is the review for the same version of Peachtree that you're considering?
There are quite a few different versions of Peachtree; Peachtree Pro, Peachtree Premium, Peachtree Quantum and Peachtree Premium, as well as various add-ons and industry-specific editions available. Part of the reason that you'll find so much difference of opinion about what seems to be a single program, is that it isn't a single program!

Decide which Peachtree or other accounting software version will suit you best, and then look for reviews of that particular product.

Has the reviewer updated to the latest version?
We all know that software is complicated, and a difficult product to get completely 'right'. Even Microsoft comes out with regular bug fixes for Windows... so it may be a little unrealistic to expect nothing to ever go wrong with your software! But has a negative reviewer updated to the latest version of their Peachtree product before airing their grievances? You'll probably never know.

Have they checked the Help file or sought training for the product?
Again, software is complicated - especially accounting software. A new user may well feel frustrated with an unfamiliar interface, but their troubles may well be resolved with just a little more practice, or with professional training assistance. However, the poor reviews that they post while frustrated with learning something new stick around forever.

Remember, people don't automatically think that problems are their fault... but an adjustment period is necessary with every change in your life.

Is the reviewer trying to sell something?
Even if there are no links to purchase the product within a review, there are no guarantees of objectivity with many accounting software reviews. This goes for reviews on both the positive and negative side of the fence, too... you'll find competitors trying to sabotage the reputations of big products by posting poor reviews, and people trying to sell products by posting positive reviews.

The solution? Never look only at a single source, and utilize the free trials that are available for products like Peachtree before you decide that a product won't be worthwhile for you.

About The Author
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST POPULAR website advertising companies on the web.