Users upgrading from NV1 to NV2 will find a summary of what is new here.
Below is a table listing some of the new features and highlights of NV2. The core flexibility and functionality of NV1 has been retained. NV2 extends central concepts introduced in NV1. Additionally, NV2 is a customizable, multi-user, real-time database with a graphical user interface.
| System | NV1 | NV2 | Comments |
| Database | Proprietary | Proprietary | New object database technology |
| File size | 500 Mb | Size of disk | The database size is limited to the maximum file size which in almost all cases means there in no practical limit. |
| File system | Proprietary | Proprietary | New technology object file system |
| Internet enabled | No | Yes | NV2 is designed to run on the Internet. Workstations and Servers communicate across the Internet. NV2 operates the same on a LAN, WAN, and the Internet. |
| Language | Assembler | C++ | NV2 developed using C++ and Open Source tools |
| Macro/Scripting language | NPL | Tcl/Tk | Widely used open-source development environment. |
| Multi-user | No | Yes | Two or more users can access the same books/database at the same time |
| Platform | DOS | Windows, soon Linux, MAC OS X | NV2 is platform independent |
| Real-time | Yes | Yes | All data is updated in real-time, in single-user, multi-user or operating across the Internet. |
| User programmable | Yes | Yes | NV2 can be scripted, automated and extended using Tcl |
| Users | 1 | No limit | When running NV2 Server, no limit to the number of users that can access a database at the same time |
| Windows Registry | No | No | NV2 does not modify your Windows registry, no restart is required after install/uninstall, no need to shut down all programs before install/uninstall |
| Accounting | NV1 | NV2 | Comments |
| Budgets | Partial | Full | Budget entries are now standard double entry transactions, like financial transactions. Spreadsheet style entry supported. Multiple budgets e.g. best case scenario, most likely scenario, worst-case scenario. Budgets are now audited. |
| Costing | No | Yes | NV2 has automatic costing when sales accounts are linked to inventory accounts |
| Fixed Year end | Yes | No | No restriction on future dated transactions, full range reporting for any period |
| Inventory | No | Yes | NV2 has inventory accounts as a separate type, complete with quantities |
| Journals | Partial | Yes | NV1 used accounts as journals. NV2 has full-fledged journals. |
| Number of accounts | No limit | No limit | Create as many accounts of any type as required |
| Number of reports | No limit | No limit | Create as many reports or sub-reports as required |
| Order Entry | No | Yes | NV2 has Order Entry for purchase and sales built-in |
| Payroll | Yes | Yes | Where NV1 payroll was clunky and cryptic, NV2 payroll is clean, streamlined and just as flexible. |
| Postings per ledger | < 64,000 | No limit | Post as many transactions to accounts as required |
| Quantity field | No | Yes | Quantity is a separate field for each posting and has a running balance |
| Tags Partitions Allocations (e.g. branches, funds) | No | Yes | Tags may be used to "partition" books, e.g. financial transactions, quotes, budget transactions, orders, departments, etc See Partitions and Allocations for more. |
| Traditional Balance Sheet | No | Yes | Displays Prior Period Earnings, Current Period Earnings, and Closing Retained Earnings (closing entries not required). |
| Trial Balance | No | Yes | Full trial balance with proper representation of periodic, perpetual, and opening balances on one report. |
| General | NV1 | NV2 | Comments |
| Account attributes | 2 | 4 | Accounts can now have 4 attributes: balance, type, representation, and active / inactive status. |
| Account types | 1 | 9 | In addition to the original General account, NV2 now has dedicated types for; AP, AR, Bank, Expense, Inventory, Sales, Payroll, CGS and Total |
| Amount field | Static | Built in calculator | Every number field in the system can interpret a numeric expression e.g. you can enter 112.70 or 98*1.15 |
| Analysis columns | 6 | Up to 366 | From 1 to 366 columns per report, a full year on a daily basis |
| Analysis resolution | Monthly or greater | Daily or greater | Resolution can be set to; day, week, two week, four week, month, year, or custom ranges for a non standard calendar |
| Audit trail | Partial | Full | The audit trail is inside the books/database and fully secured. All items added, changed or deleted are in the audit trail. Who, what, when and where. |
| Books open at one time | 1 | No limit | Keep multiple books/databases open at the same time, limited only by memory |
| Date display formats | 16 | 22 | An expanded list of date display formats |
| Date entry format | 1 | Multiple | In addition to the standard DDMMYYYY date entry format, there are now over a dozen alternate formats. |
| Description field size | 30 characters | No limit | The description field length is now unlimited |
| Help system | Basic text | HTML | Full HTML based help files, hyper-linked, indexed, and searchable |
| Largest account balance | 1 trillion | 8 million trillion | The largest dollar amount per running balance has been increased to 8 million trillion |
| Largest posting amount | 10 billion | 100 billion | The largest dollar amount per posting has been increased to 100 billion |
| MS Office Integration | No | Yes | Export to Excel® and Word. Import from Excel |
| Name field size | 10 characters | No limit | The name field length is now unlimited |
| Reconcile field size | 7 characters | No limit | The transaction reconcile field length is now unlimited |
| Reference field size | 7 characters | No limit | The transaction reference field length is now unlimited |
| Running balances | One | Multiple | Running balances are available for any amount column, including; postings, quantities |
| Security | 3 levels | No limit | NV2 user access can be customized and has individual user options |
| Simultaneous server access | No | Yes | A workstation can connect to multiple servers at the same time |
| Total to Columns | 2 | 4 | The number of "Total to" Columns has been increased to 4. |
| User Interface | NV1 | NV2 | Comments |
| Account views | 12 | > 14 | In addition to the basic views, data can now be sorted by reverse date, description, quantities only, amount only, a date range, and tags |
| Activate history cells and see postings | No | Yes | Any history cell when activated/selected, will display in a detail window all the postings that add up to the value of the cell. E.g. When moving across a history table, the detail postings window will display only the transactions for the selected cell. |
| Activate report cells and see postings | No | Yes | Any report cell when activated/selected, will display in a detail window all the postings that add up to the value of the cell. E.g. When moving across a monthly report, the detail postings window will display only the transactions for the selected month. |
| Column positions | Fixed | Movable | Size and position any window column as desired |
| Custom view of the books | No | Yes | Each user has their own custom and private view of the books/database |
| Document levels | 4 | 4 | Same levels as NV1, reports, accounts, transactions, and distributions |
| History view | 24 month plus 8 years | Full resolution | All your previous history is now back with full resolution, view your 10 year old data by day, week, two week, four week, month, three month or year |
| Ledger columns | 7 | > 8 | Account ledger windows may now display additional columns, e.g. journal, quantity, cross-account description |
| Menu styles | 1 | 2 | Standard Microsoft window style menu and the new NV2 custom, shortcut, resizable, persistent menu |
| Persistent menus | No | Yes | Standard Microsoft style menus are always collapsed, our new NV2 style shortcut menus remember the last command you selected and stay expanded on that selection. |
| Total accounts display postings | No | Yes | Total accounts display all the transactions from all the accounts that total to it |
| Windows | 2 | No limit | Display and work in as many windows as desired on the same books/database |