What if Apple created a financial planning software...

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
.. called iMoney/Money Works (or whatever you prefer) for managing your finances?



I'm creating this thread for the reason that no one here really seems to like Intuit and the way they have treated the Mac platform and also this seems to be a big App that people really need and in some cases has made people switching from Windows to Mac to reconsider.



As of this moment I don't use this type of software but in a few years I probably will and I really don't want to give my money to someone who makes a sub par App!



This is where Apple steps in, I think they could create a App that rivals Quicken for Mac, I have thought about how Apple could offer this and I have though of 2 ways to do this..



1) Offer it as a stand alone App.

2) Offer it as a part of iWork.



Now I would not know what would be a good price for this software or what specifics features Mac user would need, so I'll let you guys debate that
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    What if Apple created toilet paper?



    1) Offer it as a stand-alone system.

    2) Offer it as a part of iMacs and MacBook Pros, with an attached dispenser?



    Seriously, doesn't it weird you out that Apple makes everything? Pretty much everything in my Dock is Apple. It would be, if iChat didn't blow ass so much. Eventually, especially when I get a MacBook, it will replace Adium. And of course someday I guess iWork will replace the venerable Word and Excel. Good, bad? I don't know. It's just weird. I want them to get market share rather than build more apps. Because then, other people will build the apps. Maybe we'll finally have industry-standard apps.
  • Reply 2 of 26
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    I'm thinking that I'll just run the Quicken 2007 version via Parallels or something. Quicken Mac is never going to have parity with the PC version or so it seems.
  • Reply 3 of 26
    I would say buy office 2004 standard and use excel, or use openoffice. Openoffice also comes with an Access alternative, and filemaker is also a good database suite, with a very simple scripting language.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Darth_Apple


    .. called iMoney/Money Works (or whatever you prefer) for managing your finances?



    I'm creating this thread for the reason that no one here really seems to like Intuit and the way they have treated the Mac platform and also this seems to be a big App that people really need and in some cases has made people switching from Windows to Mac to reconsider.



    As of this moment I don't use this type of software but in a few years I probably will and I really don't want to give my money to someone who makes a sub par App!



    This is where Apple steps in, I think they could create a App that rivals Quicken for Mac, I have thought about how Apple could offer this and I have though of 2 ways to do this..



    1) Offer it as a stand alone App.

    2) Offer it as a part of iWork.



    Now I would not know what would be a good price for this software or what specifics features Mac user would need, so I'll let you guys debate that



    You're totally reading my mind! Yes, Intuit's Quicken for Mac is terrible and I've been hoping Apple would take it on. I hope they do cuz it will take someone big (like Apple) to get the financial institutions to support the new PFM with Direct Connect functionality.
  • Reply 5 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teatimebing


    I would say buy office 2004 standard and use excel, or use openoffice. Openoffice also comes with an Access alternative, and filemaker is also a good database suite, with a very simple scripting language.



    An excel spreadsheet or homemade database is never going to offer the functionality and features that a good personal finance manager should have. It just would not work. We need someone big, like Apple or Microsoft to bring us Mac users a state of the art personal finance manager. Intuit just refuses to do it.
  • Reply 6 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic


    What if Apple created toilet paper?



    1) Offer it as a stand-alone system.

    2) Offer it as a part of iMacs and MacBook Pros, with an attached dispenser?



    Seriously, doesn't it weird you out that Apple makes everything? Pretty much everything in my Dock is Apple. It would be, if iChat didn't blow ass so much. Eventually, especially when I get a MacBook, it will replace Adium. And of course someday I guess iWork will replace the venerable Word and Excel. Good, bad? I don't know. It's just weird. I want them to get market share rather than build more apps. Because then, other people will build the apps. Maybe we'll finally have industry-standard apps.



    Yea, I see what you're saying about Apple making everything and integrating everything into their system or software packages. But, for one thing, that's exactly what Microsoft does and it seems to work pretty well for them and there seems to be plenty of room for Windows developers to make their products, and secondly, to properly make a personal finance manager it seems to me it would require a large company, such as Apple, to get cooperation of the financial institutions to allow Direct Connect functionality. So, I hope Apple does tell Intuit to forget it and just starts making their own version of a PFM.
  • Reply 7 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Macvault


    Yea, I see what you're saying about Apple making everything and integrating everything into their system or software packages. But, for one thing, that's exactly what Microsoft does and it seems to work pretty well for them and there seems to be plenty of room for Windows developers to make their products, and secondly, to properly make a personal finance manager it seems to me it would require a large company, such as Apple, to get cooperation of the financial institutions to allow Direct Connect functionality. So, I hope Apple does tell Intuit to forget it and just starts making their own version of a PFM.



    Was it AI or TS that had a report about iWork 07 that said the spreadsheet would have personal finance capabilities.



    Yeah, sure, it's not Quicken, but it's the start. Just like iPhoto begat Aperture. I think Apple just told the Quicken folks not to abandon the Mac market as a stopgap measure a few years ago, when they threatened to pull out of the Mac market.



    Microsoft and Apple with both eventually go after Quicken and Adobe. You will have a software stack made by your OS vendor.



    That's the future. \
  • Reply 8 of 26
    I would love nothing more than to get away from Quicken. I've been using it for over ten years, and it has never really improved that much IMO. It is always plagued with bugs, and the company doesn't give a shit about mac users.



    The thing is, a version 1.0 Checkbook app would be easy for Apple to pull of with Core Data and a bit of GUI work. Any option than Quicken would help (and don't start listing off all the small time mac apps, they don't come close to what I want)
  • Reply 9 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by blue2kdave


    I would love nothing more than to get away from Quicken. I've been using it for over ten years, and it has never really improved that much IMO. It is always plagued with bugs, and the company doesn't give a shit about mac users.



    The thing is, a version 1.0 Checkbook app would be easy for Apple to pull of with Core Data and a bit of GUI work. Any option than Quicken would help (and don't start listing off all the small time mac apps, they don't come close to what I want)



    Exactly right!
  • Reply 10 of 26
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    I'm interested since a lot of people have talked vaguely about must have features but nobody has actually mentioned any yet. What is it people are after?
  • Reply 11 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Telomar


    I'm interested since a lot of people have talked vaguely about must have features but nobody has actually mentioned any yet. What is it people are after?



    Here are just a few off the top of my head...



    1) 100% same financial institutions supported by Direct Connect as is supported in the Windows version of Quicken. There is no technical reason for this defficiency. Intuit just wants the Mac version to suck so they discourage the institutions from supporting the Mac by charging a seperate fee for Mac support. This is rediculous!

    2) Ability to attach images/files to each transaction. ie: receipt images

    3) A much better GUI

    4) etc.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    I generally agree with the tone of this discussion, but thanks to my accountant, I don't have to feel your pain.
  • Reply 13 of 26
    argeliusargelius Posts: 309member
    I hate being stuck with Quicken for Mac (currently running 2006 -- don't see any benefits to upgrade to 2007).



    There are a couple of other Mac-specific financial tracking apps out there such as iBank. Unfortunately, I've never found anything allow for the 'direct connect' functionality. (i.e. I don't want to have to go to my bank's website, download a transaction file, then manually import that into the financial application). Evidently Quicken has a monopoly on that...
  • Reply 14 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Argelius


    I hate being stuck with Quicken for Mac (currently running 2006 -- don't see any benefits to upgrade to 2007).



    There are a couple of other Mac-specific financial tracking apps out there such as iBank. Unfortunately, I've never found anything allow for the 'direct connect' functionality. (i.e. I don't want to have to go to my bank's website, download a transaction file, then manually import that into the financial application). Evidently Quicken has a monopoly on that...



    Argelius... you are absolutely right! Web Connect sucks, and many institutions don't support Direct Connect for Mac. Quicken has a total monopoly on this and this has to be stopped and resolved somehow, and the only one I can think of to really fix this and really pull the weight needed to work with the financial institutions would be Apple. Please God, please, please, please!!!!
  • Reply 15 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Macvault


    ... and many institutions don't support Direct Connect for Mac.



    I found out why last year. Intuit charges separate licensees for companies to provide PC and Mac downloads. Now remember, there is NO difference between the file you download for a PC and one for a Mac. The only difference is an identifier the Quicken uses to see if the financial institution has paid up. Got this direct from the source at Wachovia.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by blue2kdave


    I found out why last year. Intuit charges separate licensees for companies to provide PC and Mac downloads. Now remember, there is NO difference between the file you download for a PC and one for a Mac. The only difference is an identifier the Quicken uses to see if the financial institution has paid up. Got this direct from the source at Wachovia.



    You're exactly right. I was Network Administrator at a credit union the last couple years and we ran into this very issue. We had to decide whether or not to support Mac for an additional fee over Windows support, and whether or not to do Web Connect or Direct Connect - Direct Connect costing much more than Web Connect. Web Connect totally sucks. I don't know why any institution would pay for Web Connect. A user can just as easily manually download a OFX or QIF file and import it into Quicken.



    The bottom line is that Intuit is just out for money and Quicken for Mac is a very poor product.
  • Reply 17 of 26
    majormattmajormatt Posts: 1,077member
    My father still uses the 1992 version of Quicken on a 400 MHz G4. Who needs endless features?
  • Reply 18 of 26
    Well I updated from 2005 to 2007 after skipping 06. I was having serious bugs that were not fixed by the updates. Soooo, what happened? After not importing my quickfill lists (annoying yet workable), Quicken decided to ask again if I wanted to install some quick entry app. In the process it hung and corrupted my data file and now can not open it. My god this company sucks.
  • Reply 19 of 26
    macvaultmacvault Posts: 323member
    Yea, PFM support for Mac OS X is one very sad situation. I hate to say it but this one thing is going to make me have to run Windows.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    I totally agree--Apple should build an iCash application or something. I recently lost my battle to win over my wife to make the switch to Mac and Quicken was the deciding factor.
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