In 1993, I purchased my first personal computer.
One of my first installations was a dos-based version of Quicken. Thus began a relationship that has lasted thirteen years, to this point.
While not without its quirks and annoyances (like your best friend), the fact is that Quicken continues to be the undisputed leader in personal financial software. Quicken 2006 carries the torch admirably in this regard.

What makes Quicken the best? First of all, its ubiquitousness. If your bank is allowing you to download transactions automatically, it MIGHT support Microsoft Money. It probably won’t support Moneydance. But it absolutely, positively WILL support Quicken.
And the fact is that you can get yourself a copy of this comprehensive financial package for $29.95, and that, my friends, is a bargain.
The version I’m running, Premier Home and Business, retails for $79.99. If you need the business aspects of the software, you will no doubt be able to deduct this amount.
So why does Quicken rock? Well, if you’re used to balancing your bank account with a pencil and paper, you know the process can take an hour or more.
With Quicken’s built-in online banking, it takes seconds.
I have accounts at two banks, one that offers Quicken downloads, one that doesn’t. Even the more Luddite of the two still allows me to balance my account in a matter of minutes by manually viewing my cleared transactions online.
And come taxtime, Quicken will swiftly generate whatever reports you need to accurately file your return. Most tax software will communicate directly with your Quicken records.
The quirks? Well, unfortunately, it tries to sell you more. The link to see your free credit report and credit score is persistently present at the bottom of the main screen, while links to upgrade your Quicken version appear at the same location on many other views.
But the fact is that you get incredible financial advice and statistics for less than a hundred bucks. Personally, I’m willing to overlook the small annoyances of discrete ads to get thirteen years of well-organized financial data.
http://www.quicken.com

Customers at the Dell web site have been asked to state their wishes as to how Dell could improve their experience. Specifically, Dell has asked them to tell Michael Dell himself via a feedback form what they would like to see preinstalled.
One of the first concessions to be made via customer request was Ubuntu Linux. The next one is likely to be Open Office.
Open Office has been reviewed here before. It’s an amazing, comprehensive product that is free, even for commercial use. But it has its quirks. However, I’m DELIGHTED to say that one that was most annoying to me is fixable with only a slight tweak.

So pick #1 today is how to speed Open Office up in the Windows or Linux environment. It’s located here.
The second speed tweak is for Windows users only. It is located here.
And finally, why Open Office? Well, this site has all of the answers for you:
http://why.openoffice.org/
So if you’re running Microsoft Works, by all means try Open Office. It blows the anemic suite away. And if you’re running standard Microsoft Office, give it a try as well. You’ll get a free relational database program, something you don’t get with standard Office. And once it’s installed, make the above speed tweaks to cause the program to open instantly.

***Edit: It has been brought to my attention that the site I featured was a PAY site. Instead of offering Open Office for free, it charged. My apologies. The link at the end now points to the FREE site.***
Open Office Suite version 3 is out, and it ROCKS!
I’ve been an OO user since version 1, and I’ve always loved it, despite a few quirks.
Those quirks have become rarer and rarer with each release.
And now, version 3 is quicker, slicker, and more powerful than ever.
And the price is still the same: FREE!

Not only can you open and read Microsoft Office documents (including, very soon, Office 2007 versions, your software will automatically be updated), but you can generate PDF files with the click of a button.
And your free office suite includes a relational database program that you have to spring the BIG bucks for in MS Office Professional.
But it’s all free, and it will make you feel good to use it, knowing that you aren’t lining the pockets of MS execs by expressing your freedom of choice.
So download your own install of OO for Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and even more operating systems.
http://www.openoffice.org/