"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Intuit developers, give us a simple option in preferences to turn off the auto-check numbering feature.  Just a simple checkbox, so I can ignore that field and just type and post transactions."

Couldn't agree more! I go back and forth from using the insane online ref numbers from my bank to occasional manual checks and QB automatically sequences base on 1 number in a 10 alpha-numeric - it's insane.

Also, please stop sequencing the date during check writing. If I enter a recurring payment now that's due end of next month and don't pay attention, the next check written today has the future date which, when reconciling, makes me go back and fix the mistake. Have it always enter today by default if anything.