Lesson 5 - Install QuickBooks Desktop Not For Resale (NFR) Copy

But I Don't Have QuickBooks Desktop?

Let's talk about actually getting a copy of QuickBooks Desktop (QBD) up and running. If you're on Windows, this is going to be a lot easier. I'm on a Mac so these upcoming lessons should work fine on Linux as well. If you're on Windows, skip ahead to the lessons that are going to be relevant for you. But stay here right now, because what I'm going to talk about is this NFR stuff in a general way.

What is the Not For Resale Version?

Because you're watching this you are now an official QuickBooks developer and you can get a NFR (Not For Resale) copy of QuickBooks Desktop (not that I remember having to provide a reason for requesting the QBD NFR but you might have to). A QBD NFR copy is simply a version that is intended for testing and trial purposes only.

Obtaining The NFR

First, you got to get an Intuit developer account if you don't have one. Then go to the NFR page and call them up. Back in 2013, I paid like $300 to get a NFR subscription but I'm pretty sure that it is free nowadays. QuickBase, the Intuit subsidiary, is the company that you'll actually be talking to.

What version?

When requesting a NRF they're going to ask you what version you want. There are many versions of QBD, such as of Point of Sale, UK/Canadian versions, Premiere, Enterprise, Pro, Manufacturing, etc. Moreover, each version has a "year'd version" such as QuickBooks 2016 Pro. So of the older year'd versions may be in use by your customers. But don't fret too much, The QuickBooks Web Connector (QBWC) is mature technology and will work seamlessly across them. Truth is that QuickBooks Desktop has not changed much recently and you don't have to run and test each year'd version. Of course, if your user base is primarily in the manufacturing sector then grab a copy of 2019 QBD Manufacturer. There'll probably be a couple of GUI differences here and there but GUI differences shouldn't effect your integration aims, which most likely will revolve around basic syncing activities of name lists and transactions. These standard requests and responses you'll be performing are going to work fine across all QBD versions and year'd versions. QBD Pro, Premiere, or Enterprise, generally speaking, is what most of your customers will be running but don't complicate things right now and just pick one of them for the year 2019.

Conclusion

This lesson explains how you can get a NFR copy if you don't already have a copy of QBD. If you do have one, great, then you don't need to go through this step. The next lesson is going to involve installing the QBD NFR with VirtualBox so if you're a Windows user you can skip that lesson.