FIGURE F

The pop-up calculator can be accessed anytime without leaving Pocket Quicken.

It's very nice to be able to perform calculations without having to exit Pocket Quicken. Finally, they have added support for foreign currencies. This feature requires you to set up the currencies and conversion rates in Quicken and then perform a HotSync operation to get the information on your Palm handheld. Then you can begin tracking transactions in the proper currency while you're traveling abroad. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to test this feature.

Conclusion
Pocket Quicken is a great program. Did I say great? I meant life changing! After using version 1.0 for almost two years and then seeing the improvements they have made in version 2.0, I doubt I could go back to using Quicken by itself. The time I save by recording transactions when I make them is priceless, as is the fact that I always have an accurate and updated balance. Pocket Quicken is intuitive and easy to use, and they have done a great job making it work the same way Quicken does. The QuickFill feature greatly reduces the time it takes to record a transaction, and the pop-up calculator ensures that I don't make a basic math error.

There's still a little room for improvement. If they were going to add the budget feature, I think they should have designed it to synchronize with the budget you already have set up in Quicken. This way when you make changes to your Quicken budget, it will automatically be updated in Pocket Quicken. I don't like having to update my budget twice. That is the only criticism I can find for this program.

If you're a Quicken user, you owe it to yourself to try Pocket Quicken. You can download a trial version from their Web site that will work for 30 days. Pocket Quicken retails for $39.95 and can be purchased at http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/index.html. Registered users of version 1.0 can upgrade for $14.95.

David Silver lives in California. He can be reached at dws90@yahoo.com.