The field of computer-assisted accounting has changed dramatically. For many years, the process of bookkeeping and accounting was best left to those professionals who understood the arcane tasks and uttered strange pronouncements like:

As accounting and bookkeeping progressed from NCR and Burroughs machines, to stand-alone mainframes with lots of blinking lights, then to time-sharing terminals, the processes became even more restricted. Even accounting practices developed specialist departments to face mechanization.

Fortunately, with easy-to-use computers and a generation of users who grew up expecting to have a computer at hand, there's not that feeling of intimidation for many users. At least not until they realize that they still don't speak "accountant-ese." Many accountants have had the experience of walking into a client and finding them staring at the monitor, frozen in place in front of a screen asking them to edit the default settings.

Still, the process of setting up and using accounting software has gotten to the point where most businesses, from "micro-business" to smaller multi-employee businesses, are at least willing to give PC bookkeeping a try. That's made entry-level accounting/bookkeeping products, like the ones reviewed here, a commodity item. You can find them in most big-box stores, and it won't be surprising to someday find them in the computer supplies aisle in the supermarket, right next to the inkjet toner cartridges.

HERE TODAY, HERE TOMORROW?

As with many things in life, accounting software started out simple, and as the hardware become more powerful, so did the capabilities and complexity of the software.

Many of the early vendors and their accounting packages have come, gone and been acquired. Names like VisiCalc, SuperCalc, BPI Accounting, SBT Software, Great American Software, AccountMate and Manzanita Software are not much heard anymore.

There are a number of smaller, relatively unknown accounting applications available if you look hard enough. But it's bad enough if you've recommended a product like Microsoft Office Accounting Professional, only to see it discontinued, and then had to explain to a client that even a giant company like Microsoft sometimes cuts its losses and runs. Do you really want to recommend an accounting system from a vendor that may or may not be around next year?

That pretty much narrows the market to QuickBooks, Peachtree Accounting and Acclivity, which was formerly known as MYOB.

IT'S HARD TO BEAT THE PRICE!

If your client can get away with a very simple bookkeeping system, there are several more that you can consider for them. The price for these - free - is hard to beat.

If your client has up to 20 customers and needs to invoice and track sales/services, and print checks, QuickBooks Simple Start Free Edition might do the trick for them. It's an easy upgrade path to the $99 regular Simple Start edition when your clients start to outgrow the free version.

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