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First Look at Microsoft Money 2005This Web-savvy update syncs with MSN accounts, but you'll want to be aware of some functionality requirements and service limitations.Yardena Arar, PC World
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Just one week after Intuit introduced Quicken 2005, Microsoft is striking back with a new version of its competing personal finance program, Money 2005.
Like Quicken 2005, Money 2005 isn't an essential upgrade for most users. But it does hold special appeal to people who would like to manage their finances on the Web when they're not at their desktop.
Money is scheduled to ship in September in four versions: Standard ($30), Deluxe ($60), Premium ($80), and Small Business ($90), which correspond roughly to Quicken's Basic, Deluxe, Premier, and Premier Home & Business editions. Standard provides basic checkbook and expense-tracking tools; Deluxe adds a host of planning features; and Premium has additional features for serious investors. The Small Business version lets you track finances for personal accounts and for a sole proprietorship (Schedule C on a federal income tax return).
Thanks to a major overhaul of its underlying technology, Money 2005 can automatically synchronize account data in the desktop application with your Web-based MSN Money account. As a result, entries in the desktop software will automatically appear online, and vice versa--a huge convenience for people who update and review their finances from different locations via a browser.
Another neat change: People who want to share access to an MSN Money file--for example, a married couple--can log...