I ’ve been using MYOB FirstEdge to meet my little commercial enterprise account statement need since it first came to market back in 2002 ( ) . My reasons for take FirstEdge are quite dim-witted : The programme meets my very basic pauperization with the same layer of lineament as its much more expensive sibling , MYOB AccountEdge 2007 ( ) , or of any of its competitors , like Intuit ’s QuickBooks .
The latest variant of FirstEdge , version 3 , does n’t proffer much in the means of major new features — most of those that have been tally are sweetening to be dick such as Address Book middleman syncing — but it has been reprogrammed as a Universal Binary , which makes it possible for FirstEdge to range natively on both Intel and PowerPC - based Macs .
Considering that MYOB already volunteer a full - feature business method of accounting parcel , it would be easy to take that FirstEdge is a dumbed - down version of AccountEdge — a program with just enough features to lure you into forking over full damage for the full reading . FirstEdge does lack some of AccountEdge ’s high - end feature : the program does not contain incorporate payroll , inventory direction , or clip billing features . But FirstEdge does tender everlasting interpretation of AccountEdge ’s major accountancy module . It also offers you a free written matter for your accountant and admit you to accept credit cards for client dealings , a feature of speech that even Intuit ’s more expensive QuickBooks does not offer . Of naturally , the credit entry scorecard lineament does cost extra , but that is to be expected .
Most of the novel features in this version of FirstEdge appear in the most late upgrade to AccountEdge 2007 , and they are welcome . Earlier versions of FirstEdge did not take into account you to call up your dealing history from a late year . Now , you may configure FirstEdge to keep up to seven years of dealings data , which you may see at any sentence . Unfortunately , though , this feature article only mold with information saved in the current version of FirstEdge , so you ’ll only be able-bodied to take in seven days worth of data going ahead from the day you take off using FirstEdge 3 .
In the past , situate wrong entered transactions once you reconciled your coin bank accounts was well-nigh impossible . Now , FirstEdge admit you to go back and undo transactions , making it easier to correct errors in your accounts .
MYOB has also add an alternative for you to combine vendor or customer accounts , so you may keep more accurate information about money you ’ve spent or sales event you ’ve made . For example , envisage that you had two freestanding vendor calculate for cellphone phone service , one for Cingular and the other for AT&T. Now that those companies have merged , you may aggregate all your purchase information so that it descend under one ship’s company name .
While FirstEdge lacks an unified paysheet system , it ’s still possible to run payroll for your company using MYOB ’s fee - free-base online payroll service and then import that data into FirstEdge once your payroll department is complete .
FirstEdge is not without its shortcoming . While the programme offer the power to customize forms for your account , quotation mark , and checks , this feature is not as fully formed as the balance of the plan , and it can leave you frustrated if you ’re set about to qualify existing manikin or create new I . The program also lets you choose to catch updated help documentation via the MYOB Web site , but while I was screen the program , the vane - based helper was never available to me . Finally , FirstEdge , like AccountEdge , ask you to activate every young caller data file you produce , instead of just allow you register the program once . While this is n’t a job if you only have one business organization , if you ’re running several little businesses , this could end up being a pain sensation . you could , however , set off up to ten company files , which will likely be enough for most masses .
Macworld’s buying advice
MYOB ’s FirstEdge 3 is a best - of - course small - business accounting program that throw you fantabulous features at a great terms . While form customization can be thwarting , it ’s unlikely to interfere with how well FirstEdge handles your concern finance .
[ Jeffery Battersby is a internet manager in upstate New York and a unconstipated contributor toMacworld . you could read his web log atjeffbattersby.com . ]
EDITOR ’S government note : This review was modify to indicate the software include the power to set off up to ten company file with each transcript of the software ; this modification did not feign the product ’s mouse paygrade .
