Why packaged software is dead

The IRD wants a tax return soon so I spent the weekend searching for a boxed copy of Quicken Home and Business 2010. It drew a blank. I wrote about this earlier in packaged software is dead.

When I couldn’t get anywhere with physical shops I went to Quicken’s website, then clicked through to the point where I could, in theory, buy a packaged copy of the program from the online store.

I stopped when I reached the confirm purchase page which said; “Quicken will send out your purchase within 7-14 working days after payment”.

That’s 14 working days AFTER receiving payment.

Does Quicken even want to sell software?

As mentioned in Paperless journalist: Business cards, it took nine days for Moo cards to accept money, print cards and send them from California to New Zealand.

Why is Quicken so slow? Perhaps someone has to get a CD burner out of the cupboard at the back of the shop to make the discs for boxed software.

Next. I went back through the site, found a contact email for Quicken’s ‘presales’ department to query this speed. I needed the software fast, the end of the financial year is approaching and I had a GST return to get out.

On Saturday I emailed this message to presales@quicken.co.nz:

I’ve been all over the North Shore looking for Quicken Home & Business 2010. There are boxed in Harvey Norman at Wairau Park, but no disks. Otherwise no-one seems to stock the software. Is it still available? If I buy direct from Reckon can I come and pick it up from the office?

I never heard back.

The money was in my hand and Quicken didn’t want to take it. Something is wrong here. Packaged software is doomed.

In the meantime, I’ve switched to Xero.