64-bit Version for Windows?

EdR2

Any plans to make a 64-bit version for Windows?

jtemplin

We are users here. We don't have visibility into what Quicken Inc. is working on, nor do they share that information publicly.

That being said, I wouldn't hold your breath. I work as a developer for a software company that produces a Windows desktop program that is as old as Quicken is. It is a large undertaking to take very old 32-bit code and port it to 64-bits. It's not just a simple recompile. You have to find 64-bit versions of all the existing 32-bit libraries and UI widgets used in the program (and Quicken makes use of a LOT of custom UI widgets). If they obtained them from 3rd party companies, those companies may not be in business anymore to supply a 64-bit version so you're forced to write the missing things yourself. Because language standards change, you have to thoroughly test that Quicken compiled under 64-bit behaves exactly like it did under 32-bit. All kinds of subtle bugs might creep in as later compilers handle code a bit differently. There are other issues, but I won't go too far into the weeds here.

And for what benefit? There are numerous programs that are 32-bit and will likely stay 32-bit forever because of the costs, mentioned above, involved in modernizing an old code base. Many folks think 64-bit apps are "better" and that's the only reason they ask for them. When our users ask for a 64-bit version, we ask why they need one, and they don't even know. Quicken doesn't need the additional memory to work. It's not like Microsoft Excel where you might need to routinely manipulate huge spreadsheets and therefore need the 64-bit version.

My crystal ball: Windows desktop Quicken will stay 32-bit forever until Quicken Inc. "replaces" it with Simplifi as it evolves in features over time and becomes their flagship product. Younger users will likely want something web-based they can use on their phones (their main computing device) instead of desktop software.

gambit.xmn

Good explanation, but you batted down the answer to your own question... "And for what benefit?" A: "It's not like Microsoft Excel where you might need to routinely manipulate huge spreadsheets and therefore need the 64-bit version."

But it IS like Microsoft Excel if used extensively like many of us old-heads do. Quicken grows ever-more complex the longer you use it and the more complex your personal financial situation gets. With the current 32-bit version, I cannot hold much historical data for very long before it begins to freeze and misbehave. I wind up with less than 1-year of historical data which isn't particularly helpful. The thought is, a 64-bit version can handle the complexities of financing that go beyond checking and savings accounts.

Simplifi and other like it are just that - too simple. I miss out on other valuable details that just isn't supported on a web version (even Quicken Web cannot support what I need, though it is better than the alternatives).

Thanks again for the explanation.

Greg_the_Geek

I don't agree that a 64-bit version of Quicken would be any better. I have transactions going back to 1985, almost 60,000 transactions and the file is almost 120 MB. I have no freezing or slowness at all.

Pumphouse

I had professional software development experience on an old 32-bit product and can confirm jtemplin's observations. I'm also a long-time Quicken user (since the '80s, way before Windows) and have seldom or never seen freezes like gambit_xmn reports. With today's overloaded Windows, I suspect the amount of RAM on the box is more important than the amount of address space in the binary. If the box has only 4 gigs, I'd be surprised if anything works well.

jtemplin

gambit.xmn said:

Good explanation, but you batted down the answer to your own question... "And for what benefit?" A: "It's not like Microsoft Excel where you might need to routinely manipulate huge spreadsheets and therefore need the 64-bit version."

But it IS like Microsoft Excel if used extensively like many of us old-heads do. I wind up with less than 1-year of historical data which isn't particularly helpful. The thought is, a 64-bit version can handle the complexities of financing that go beyond checking and savings accounts.

Simplifi and other like it are just that - too simple. 

The operative word was "huge". Even 32-bit Excel handles some really big sheets, bigger than a very large percentage of users will ever need.

Less than one year of historical data? I'm like the other posters in this thread. I have transactions going back to the early 80's with nearly 70,000 of them. My file is 150MB and I don't see the slowdowns you report. There is something else going on in your system.

I've recently become aware of "old-heads" keeping their Quicken program open FOR DAYS (I'm frankly baffled by that). There is a known resource leak that causes slowdowns for such users. Could this be relevant to what you're experiencing?

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7923154/slowdowns-and-not-enough-memory-to-proceed-errors/p1 

Simplifi is indeed simple, too simple for me to switch. But I'm an "old-head" using desktop software and not their target market, and, I'd argue, a market that's shrinking the older we get. But give Simplifi a few more years of development. For young folks needing to budget, it meets that need now. When they get older and need robust investing tracking and reporting, my bet is that those features will be ready for them.