What if Apple created a financial planning software...
.. 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
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
Comments
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.
.. 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.
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.
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.
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. \
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)
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!
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.
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...
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!!!!
... 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.
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.