I went from Windows to Mac and also bought Mac Quicken. It was a mistake, and I ended up moving my 12 years of Quicken data to iBank 2. I blogged about my experience switching.
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Intuit To Rewrite Quicken, Demos TurboTax 2008
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Those GUI screen shots are a billion times better than the current version or even the Windows version. Sure the cloud tag isn't really necessary, and CoverFlow doesn't make any sense for accounts (they all look the same!).
But CoverFlow would make sense for reports or for scrolling through transactions within an account (it would be nice, for example, if you could use CoverFlow to scroll through transactions within an account, showing the logo of the companies you are writing your checks to, so you could quickly get a visual feel for how often you're buying at Starbucks or Target or Best Buy).
That being said, I gave up on the Mac versions of Quicken & QuickBooks back when the Windows versions had online updates & the Mac versions didn't. I had mega problems moving my QuickBooks data back and forth too, for which they actually charged me. Talk about adding insult to injury. So I'm very hesitant to switch back to Mac versions. (Sorry, Intuit. It's your own fault.)
But CoverFlow would make sense for reports or for scrolling through transactions within an account (it would be nice, for example, if you could use CoverFlow to scroll through transactions within an account, showing the logo of the companies you are writing your checks to, so you could quickly get a visual feel for how often you're buying at Starbucks or Target or Best Buy).
That being said, I gave up on the Mac versions of Quicken & QuickBooks back when the Windows versions had online updates & the Mac versions didn't. I had mega problems moving my QuickBooks data back and forth too, for which they actually charged me. Talk about adding insult to injury. So I'm very hesitant to switch back to Mac versions. (Sorry, Intuit. It's your own fault.)
Seriously? Are they so in love with the technologies only available in Leopard that they couldn't make it compatible with Tiger as well?
This is a significant problem on the Mac today -- Apple releases a major new version every one-and-a-half to two years, and developers either (1) have to keep up with the changes or (2) refuse to use technologies that are available across versions, so we end up seeing support for very usable versions of Mac OS X dropping like flies. Yes, it took Microsoft five to six years to release the successor to Windows XP (and it turns out that it stinks), but at least that gives those who choose not to invest in the latest version of Windows viability in the software space.
Apple is guilty of this (iPod, iWork, and iLife requirements, for example), but you'd expect them to push you to the latest version of their OS. You would think that third party developers would make a greater effort to support what was the current version of Mac OS X as recently as September. Then again, this _is_ Intuit we're talking about…
My basic experience with Mac Quicken 2007
nearly led to tossing my new Mac into the lake. I had used PC Quicken for years; albeit only using one bank account and no other financial stuff. It took multiple calls to Bank of America (who were the most helpful) and to Intuit. Note that Intuit warns of charges for telephone help but they never charged me once since I had software issues. EVERY process suggested by Intuit was incomplete but BOA was able to unveil the missing (and necessary) steps.
I finally was able to completely and accurately convert my old PC files and am limping by on Mac Quicken. Obviously, the download process is the hardest to deal with.
For those of you who have tried and given up on Mac Quicken, I encourage you to persevere. Pick a week when your spouse is away to minimize the risk to divorce...
I look forward to the new version
Jaime
nearly led to tossing my new Mac into the lake. I had used PC Quicken for years; albeit only using one bank account and no other financial stuff. It took multiple calls to Bank of America (who were the most helpful) and to Intuit. Note that Intuit warns of charges for telephone help but they never charged me once since I had software issues. EVERY process suggested by Intuit was incomplete but BOA was able to unveil the missing (and necessary) steps.
I finally was able to completely and accurately convert my old PC files and am limping by on Mac Quicken. Obviously, the download process is the hardest to deal with.
For those of you who have tried and given up on Mac Quicken, I encourage you to persevere. Pick a week when your spouse is away to minimize the risk to divorce...
I look forward to the new version
Jaime
It's about freaking time. It's been clear for many years that Intuit really wasn't interested in supporting the Mac, and did so only very grudgingly. Quicken 2002 was so very obviously a bad port of the Windows version to OS 9 and below, which was then even more poorly ported to OS X. Sure, it worked ok once you found workarounds for all the little issues that popped up, but based on those issues, it was clear that they probably had one guy in some dark corner assigned to "make this run on a Mac."
I shudder in horror at the hoops I had to jump through to get it to allow both my wife's and my non-admin user accounts to work on the same data file. There were obviously so many assumptions in that software that you'd be the only user on the computer, and you'd have full admin access.
Quicken 2006 was moderately better, but essentially the same exact product with a few minor bug fixes.
I'll be cautiously optimistic about this new product for the Mac. The screen shots are nothing to get excited about in and of themselves, either positively or negatively. But they clearly demonstrate a new commitment to the Mac platform for Intuit, and even suggest that they went out and hired actual Mac developers to design and build it, rather than assigning some Windows code monkey to do a "port." That's a huge improvement right there. They're paying close attention to what Apple is doing in their own apps, and that alone is reason for optimism.
Whether the final product turns out to not suck still remains to be seen. All the pretty new features that Apple gives to developers don't mean anything if they're not used properly or if they don't make sense for the functionality in question.
I shudder in horror at the hoops I had to jump through to get it to allow both my wife's and my non-admin user accounts to work on the same data file. There were obviously so many assumptions in that software that you'd be the only user on the computer, and you'd have full admin access.
Quicken 2006 was moderately better, but essentially the same exact product with a few minor bug fixes.
I'll be cautiously optimistic about this new product for the Mac. The screen shots are nothing to get excited about in and of themselves, either positively or negatively. But they clearly demonstrate a new commitment to the Mac platform for Intuit, and even suggest that they went out and hired actual Mac developers to design and build it, rather than assigning some Windows code monkey to do a "port." That's a huge improvement right there. They're paying close attention to what Apple is doing in their own apps, and that alone is reason for optimism.
Whether the final product turns out to not suck still remains to be seen. All the pretty new features that Apple gives to developers don't mean anything if they're not used properly or if they don't make sense for the functionality in question.
Hey...
Hey, I know, why doesn't Intuit spend some time making the Mac version of Quickbooks Pro equivalent to its Windows counterpart? Right now it's a retarded cousin and the file types aren't even interchangeable.
Makes it really tough for businesses to switch over to Macs when they can't convert their files...FOR PROGRAMS FROM THE SAME DAMN COMPANY! What would happen if Adobe did this?
Ridiculous.
Hey, I know, why doesn't Intuit spend some time making the Mac version of Quickbooks Pro equivalent to its Windows counterpart? Right now it's a retarded cousin and the file types aren't even interchangeable.
Makes it really tough for businesses to switch over to Macs when they can't convert their files...FOR PROGRAMS FROM THE SAME DAMN COMPANY! What would happen if Adobe did this?
Ridiculous.
Link to the beta test signup form:
https://quicken.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/quicken.cfg/php/enduser/sign_up.php
https://quicken.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/quicken.cfg/php/enduser/sign_up.php
I have a complaint lodged with the Better Business Bureau about Quicken 2007 for Mac. You can't register the product online and as a result you can't update your online portfolio.
I've never been impressed with Intuit's Mac support and don't hold out any hope that their product refresh will be any better.
I've never been impressed with Intuit's Mac support and don't hold out any hope that their product refresh will be any better.
What is the future for Intuit?
I don't know the exact date but Intuit was going to drop all support for Quicken on Mac platforms. That would have been really bad for Apple as it was trying to maintain what hold it had on the home market. Apple countered that by putting Quicken on all new Mac's being sold. Effectively subsidizing Intuit to keep Mac support going.
I've been a Quicken user since 1996 and I made the switch from PC to Mac in 2000. The Quicken import was a nightmare and the loss of functionality had me looking for some alternative. Back then there was nothing for Mac.
I welcome this change by Intuit, but there are bigger problems for them. The product line is very mature and trying to convince people to fork over $70 a year for upgrades does not cut it.
I don't know if I'm willing to make the switch to iBank, but I really like seeing that someone is trying to fill in the void.
I don't know the exact date but Intuit was going to drop all support for Quicken on Mac platforms. That would have been really bad for Apple as it was trying to maintain what hold it had on the home market. Apple countered that by putting Quicken on all new Mac's being sold. Effectively subsidizing Intuit to keep Mac support going.
I've been a Quicken user since 1996 and I made the switch from PC to Mac in 2000. The Quicken import was a nightmare and the loss of functionality had me looking for some alternative. Back then there was nothing for Mac.
I welcome this change by Intuit, but there are bigger problems for them. The product line is very mature and trying to convince people to fork over $70 a year for upgrades does not cut it.
I don't know if I'm willing to make the switch to iBank, but I really like seeing that someone is trying to fill in the void.
Glad they're doing something with it, as it was really needed. I'll wait and see what it looks like. But I doubt it's going to get me to drop iBank, which has worked great for me so far.
Blech! I moved to Quicken for Mac, and gave up on my past data. It wasn't that big of a blow. I decided I didn't really need to know what I bought 5 years ago. It's really been fine.
That being said, it would be nice to have a native app, but those concepts look like rubbish. I can't believe it -- coverflow for a financial app! WTF?
Any rate, those screen shots do kind of look like mock-ups, which leads me to believe they've just barely got started, and the product isn't likely to be out by Fall 08. My read on it, and I've been around software development now for 14 years, so I think I have a good gut read.
Guess I'll be using Quicken7 for some time yet, because even if they release a second Beta and call it final release in late 08, it's going to be so basic as to be useless. What a shame. Seems like they were caught off gaurd by Mac's new popularity.
That being said, it would be nice to have a native app, but those concepts look like rubbish. I can't believe it -- coverflow for a financial app! WTF?
Any rate, those screen shots do kind of look like mock-ups, which leads me to believe they've just barely got started, and the product isn't likely to be out by Fall 08. My read on it, and I've been around software development now for 14 years, so I think I have a good gut read.
Guess I'll be using Quicken7 for some time yet, because even if they release a second Beta and call it final release in late 08, it's going to be so basic as to be useless. What a shame. Seems like they were caught off gaurd by Mac's new popularity.
Turbo Tax 2008 == Next Year's Taxes
Just to be clear here: TurboTax 2007 is the one on the shelves right now, ready to do your taxes between now and April 15, right? TurboTax 2008 really doesn't become relevant until about this time next year for the vast majority of tax-payers.
I'm a bit uncertain of this, because while this has been the naming scheme for tax software as long as I can remember (and, while initially a little confusing, makes the most sense overall), TurboTax's site appears to have no mention of a "model year".
Just to be clear here: TurboTax 2007 is the one on the shelves right now, ready to do your taxes between now and April 15, right? TurboTax 2008 really doesn't become relevant until about this time next year for the vast majority of tax-payers.
I'm a bit uncertain of this, because while this has been the naming scheme for tax software as long as I can remember (and, while initially a little confusing, makes the most sense overall), TurboTax's site appears to have no mention of a "model year".
That is correct because TurboTax2007 was already shipped about four months ago.
Looks like it could be really good
Personally I think it looks like it has the potential to be really good. The interface looks to relatively intuitive - however I've never been much of a fan of those tag cloud type of things, but thats just me.
I have been looking for a financial management/tracking app. for a while, and that looks pretty good. I used the demo of cha-ching for a little while, and it seemed nice but it just didn't seem right for me.
I for one am going to be interested to see how this develops
Personally I think it looks like it has the potential to be really good. The interface looks to relatively intuitive - however I've never been much of a fan of those tag cloud type of things, but thats just me.
I have been looking for a financial management/tracking app. for a while, and that looks pretty good. I used the demo of cha-ching for a little while, and it seemed nice but it just didn't seem right for me.
I for one am going to be interested to see how this develops
Multi-Currency Support
What I want to know is if they are going to have Multi-currency support in the new version. I am a new Mac User and I love it. I am an old Quicken user however and I find the Mac version completely useless because of its lack of multi-currency support which is standard on PC versions. I would like to know now if they are going to fix this...if they are great I will wait. If not I don't want to wait around for the next version only to be disappointed. I will need to find an alternative.
What I want to know is if they are going to have Multi-currency support in the new version. I am a new Mac User and I love it. I am an old Quicken user however and I find the Mac version completely useless because of its lack of multi-currency support which is standard on PC versions. I would like to know now if they are going to fix this...if they are great I will wait. If not I don't want to wait around for the next version only to be disappointed. I will need to find an alternative.
Actually, you can blame the developers. If they use the programming tools appropriately, it's not hard to support multiple Mac OS X versions. Using Intuit as an example of how Mac programming should be done is a mistake.
However, limiting your app to the newest OS version isn't as big a mistake for Macs as it would be for Windows. If I remember correctly, something like 20-25% of Mac users had switched to Leopard in the first 3-4 months. Mac users aren't as scared of upgrades as Windows users because upgrading is not usually a problem. By the time the new Quicken is out, this number will be higher - and a good percentage of those who don't upgrade to Leopard are probably not going to be upgrading Quicken, either.
This is Intuit
Intuit obviously puts their most competent software people on TurboTax and Windows versions gets higher priority. Next comes Quicken for Windows and finally, Quicken for Mac. By the time we get to this level you can believe there is some incompetency mismanagement, failure to meet goals etc.
I've seen it for too many years using many of their products even Windows ones.
I have no problem with their TurboTax software but Quicken and Rental Property Manager along with their Medical records software have been disasters and I don't expect the future to be much different.
Intuit obviously puts their most competent software people on TurboTax and Windows versions gets higher priority. Next comes Quicken for Windows and finally, Quicken for Mac. By the time we get to this level you can believe there is some incompetency mismanagement, failure to meet goals etc.
I've seen it for too many years using many of their products even Windows ones.
I have no problem with their TurboTax software but Quicken and Rental Property Manager along with their Medical records software have been disasters and I don't expect the future to be much different.
I finally bit the bullet and went to Quicken 2007 on my Mac because it was too inconvenient to keep booting Windows to get MS Money to work (which I have used since the day it launched).
Never knew it wasn't universal, but then not like it really needs a lot of CPU cycles.
Never knew it wasn't universal, but then not like it really needs a lot of CPU cycles.
Is there a downside to Ibank?
I have used Quicken for years; first PC and then 2007 Mac (when I finally left the dark side...). I am a basic user and limit use to downloading bank data, maintaining my checkbooks and tracking expenditures. I never seriously considered any alternate financial software.
Question: should I consider Ibank? Does Ibank have a sufficient user base to be viable? Can some Ibank users comment about how Ibank 3 might compare for a user like myself with the new Quicken?
Many thanks.
I have used Quicken for years; first PC and then 2007 Mac (when I finally left the dark side...). I am a basic user and limit use to downloading bank data, maintaining my checkbooks and tracking expenditures. I never seriously considered any alternate financial software.
Question: should I consider Ibank? Does Ibank have a sufficient user base to be viable? Can some Ibank users comment about how Ibank 3 might compare for a user like myself with the new Quicken?
Many thanks.
Neither have been released so that would be hard to do. I use iBank 2 and like it. I used Quicken PC for years and moved to iBank 2 when I switched back to Mac OS. I'll upgrade to iBank 3 and won't even consider any version of Quicken, especially after the B.S. of trying to get PC Quicken data transferred to the Mac version.