I read/skimmed the 240 page manual, but the installation procedures were easy to follow without reading it. Nonetheless, at least skim the manual. I also used it for a new accounting system for my software leasing business so I gave it a real test. I have an accounting background so that helped, but I don't think it is necessary. Included 30-day free advice should take care of most questions. For more advanced installations, a network of consultants is available.

The 2 basic structures of AccountEdge are the general ledger charts of accounts and cards (really records) for customers, vendors, employees, etc. "You can use one of many charts of accounts for a number of business and customize them to meet the needs of your business. You can set up accounts for departments or divisions. You can set up accounts for individual jobs so you can track their profitability. For many businesses, this last feature can be worth its weight in gold". The card concept is very useful. For example, once you enter data for a vendor or customer, such as address and the account name or number to be charged, there is an autofill feature, which reduces the time to complete such tasks as check writing, quotes, invoices, and labels. The same is true for employee data; it's a real timesaver.

For ease of use, AccountEdge has a graphical flowchart diagram where you click on the function you want to use. A Tell Me How tool gives answers to most questions when you have a particular problem and both the offline and online search tool are very good, but they give too many references for a question, similar to many search engines.

[Ed. Note: There are several technical support options: Their online FAQ will probably have the answer to your commonly asked question; or you can buy pay-per-call toll-free tech support billed to your credit card (Minimum: $40); or you can sign up for one of their "Continuous Support Plans," which are a bit pricey. Minimum term is one-year-plus, with a large penalty if you terminate early. Read the contract (pdf) here.]

MYOB offers several on-line tools which may be of use to you: customer credit card processing, electronic payment of vendors, and direct deposit of paychecks into employees' bank accounts. There are monthly fees for these services.

I also like the ability to correct most transactions without having to reverse the recording and then reenter it. For example, you recorded a deposit a $1 low or put in the wrong date.

Not only does AccountEdge do all the normal bookkeeping functions, but it also handles sales and purchasing, payroll and time billing, and creates Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It handles both cash and accrual accounting. It also handles inventory, a complicated task. I didn't use the inventory management feature, but from reading the manual, it appears very powerful. Online reviews of the inventory feature have been excellent.

AccountEdge offers over 160 reports instantly produced from the data in the file. Each of the reports can easily be changed on the fly, e.g., the income statement can be changed in a matter of seconds from 1 month to 6 months or to 3 months or any period you want. The reports are displayed; you can then print them, email them, fax them, produce a PDF file, produce an HTML file, or export them to an Excel, tab-delimited, comma-separated, or simple text file. You can customize them extensively and then save the format of the customized file for future use.

Additionally, MYOB offers many forms which can be customized in such ways as inserting your logo or a watermark image, rounding borders, and adding color. The result is a most professional image.

In summary, I think MYOB has produced a really great accounting and business management software program for the Mac, probably the best there is and one which compares very favorably to programs costing more than 10 times as much. A 30-day demo is available. If you think you have the need - or desire - to use the program, try it.

Reviewer: Mark Bazrod Mark Bazrod has been involved in leasing computers since 1968 and has been active in the leasing industry as a board member, speaker, and committee chairman. His company was one of the first to lease computer software back in 1992. He bought his first Apple computer around 1978 and currently uses a PowerBook as his main computer, taking it everywhere. He was appointed to the Board of MLMUG in June 2004.

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© 2004 by Mark Bazrod & MLMUG
Posted 08/01/04
Updated 09/15/04