Help me convince my wife to move to linux! quicken vs gnucash question.
 

on my personal desktop, i'm using Ubuntu 9.10, and so far my wife likes it for everything save one thing, she uses quicken to track our finances on her laptop, and wont switch to gnucash because i cant import all of our data. is there anyway to import all the work she's done to ANY program in linux? or she going to win this fight and keep windows on her laptop?

at this exact moment, it doesn't matter a ton, the laptop is almost 10 years old, but we're looking to get a new one sometime this year, and she wont switch to linux unless she can do it seamlessly without having to re-enter all of our financial data.

are there plugins for gnucash that I havn't found to allow me to at least load a backup, and save it in the correct format? or another application? personally, i like the look and feel of gnucash, but i can see her point about not wanting to redo everything she's already done.

I have no real knowledge on this type of software, but a quick google came up with:

http://www.moneydance.com/

You do have to pay for it ($40USD), but it comes in a Windows flavour too so you may be able to install there
first and transfer across from Quicken and then install on Ubuntu and use its windows files??

Have a look at KMyMoney. Not necessarily because it will import all the data without having to do any work. I don't think that would be the case with other Windows programs, either. So, I don't see this as a Linux vs Windows issue, really. She put your financial data into a black box data file format and now is trapped by it. I would stress that point and underline the further point that sticking with it won't fix the problem, but will only make it worse as time goes on. It's like saying she wants to stay in jail because the doors are locked and no one has a key.

If you really want her to switch to Linux and this is the only sticking point, I would offer to do the importing for her and let her choose the program she wants to continue working with once the conversion is complete. Point out that the software on Linux uses open formats. KMyMoney has an entire chapter in its manual about importing data: http://kmymoney2.sourceforge.net/onl...ls.impexp.html with advice on how to deal with QIF files. It also offers help with importing GNUCash data. Comparing the two sets of instructions highlights the differences between converting one open format to another with converting a closed format to anything else.

One question I would also ask is, can the oldest data she has be imported successfully to the current version of Quicken? Or does she assume that because she is using a version of the same program she originally used that the data is usable in the current version? If it isn't, then her objection has little merit, because the data is lost either way.

If that's the case, it should serve as a painful lesson in trusting black box file formats to keep her data safe and in blindly believing that a program's changing data file formats are supported forever.

Did you try this: Which is the best way to import data from Quicken(TM)?

Without regard to the details, the short answer is "You don't". People switch because they want to or--as in my house**--because they simply don't care. Ideally, each person has their own machine and sets it up the way they want it. There is also dual-boot or a virtual machine (eg running Windows inside Linux.)

**One computer, Linux-only, 3 users
Standing offer from the SA to set up another machine if anyone doesn't like how this one is configured.

I have to agree, you really can't convince people to switch. They have to realize on their own that Windows is flawed and that there has to be something better out there for THEM :) But if the only thing keeping her from the switch is Quicken... Several versions of Quicken run well in Wine. Not sure which version your running, but have a look here:

Wine App Database

@pixellany +1.

My wife switched to linux because I did and she doesn't want to fiddle with rebooting or launching the VM. Our household SA (yours truely) keeps a copy of xp in the reboot basement and one of vista in VM jail for things like Iphones and the kids cheapo lilttle media players since he paid for the stupid licenses. If the SA's sister gets one more virus "he" says he's going to break into her house and convert her to linux as well. :)

On the plus side my 4 year old FELL IN LOVE with Ubuntu the second Gcompris went on it!

If you want WINE with support, you can get CrossOver. Their site ( http://codeweavers.com ) lists which versions of Quicken are officially supported.

I've got in a lot of trouble trying to get other men's wives to do things. ;)

for what it's worth. my wife loves mint.com. i have no idea what it does as far as importing and whatnot. and i'm not very good managing money (impulse spending anyone?) so i stay away and out of the doghouse. i know it shoots her weekly financial status emails and keeps her on track though. i do know that it can track your spending via the bank and label everything so you can see what you spend on. she used that to show me what frivolous junk i buy on a regular basis.

thanks for all the replies
 

this is alot of helpful information and i will be looking into these options. thanks for all the help.