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Accounting software developers have moved more slowly to Windows than some other application designers. Many high-end programs are still available in DOS, and even some low-end companies continue to sell character-based counterparts. Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions, whose applications fall somewhere between low-end and midrange accounting programs, is still in transition. Some of its modules are available for Windows, and its comprehensive product, ACTPlus, should be available in Windows format by the time you read this. Its current DOS version, ACTPlus Accounting 12.0, provides an integrated, module-based framework that supports standard bookkeeping functions: general ledger, accounts receivable and payable, payroll, job costing, and inventory. ACTPlus' modular structure, networkability, and attention to detail and data security make it a possible candidate for a multi-person accounting department that eschews Windows. Not surprisingly, ACTPlus looks and feels much like DOS-based accounting programs looked several years ago. It doesn't support the mouse, so all commands are presented in text lists. You can either type in the number of the item you want or scroll down until it's highlighted and hit Enter. The Escape key backs you up through the branching menu system, whose structure is clear and understandable. You start by selecting the desired module, then continue to make choices until you get to the form or record you want. Function keys are also employed as navigational devices. Records that store information about people (such as customers and employees) and items (jobs or inventory) contain enough standard fields to describe each amply, though you can't define any additional fields. The level of detail is comparable with record forms in good low-end programs such as M.Y.O.B., though ACTPlus offers fewer options in some cases. Forms, too, supply enough fields to create thorough documents, though these are not customizable. ACTPlus may look old, but it pushes beyond competing state-of-the-art programs in several areas. For example, it's year 2000-compliant and allows up to 250 companies, with consolidation capabilities for up to 35 at a time. It offers four choices of inventory methods and can automatically generate a purchase order when inventory levels dip below your specified minimum. Reporting capabilities are not exceptional, but reports are probably the most customizable documents in the program. An adequate set of standard reports is available for each module, as well as some additional management-level financial analyses. These and other savvy features may justify the $395 single-user price tag on ACTPlus, but it's probably best suited to larger organizations that can take advantage of multi-user pricing for this fairly powerful, scalable program.
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