Quicken Essentials adds features, drops price

Those considering whether to get the new Quicken or looking for alternatives may find this discussion useful:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/applications/topic4065.html#d09jun2009

All of these negative comments are correct - there is work to do here for Intuit. If you are a heavy Quicken user wait for a while.

ON THE OTHER HAND the is much to love about this new take on Quicken. First, syncing with bank data, which really is essential, now really works for the first time in a way that is not painful. That is big and quite awesome really. Second, well for all it's features old Quicken was ugly old carbon based crap, there I said it. This new app is not only modern and fast but actually quite usable. It's a very welcome remake of financial software.

Gaps in function, yes. Tax integration, reporting, charting, investment, all this stuff needs to be built out. But even with all this missing function, this app doesn't suck. It's a great fresh start. I had already given up on quicken, I hated updating it, and now I am using this, so there is goodness among all the pain.

I have been tracking investments in Quicken for years. When I sell a stock, I create a report on that sale, print it and take that to our tax preparer. I was very disappointed that my investments records didn't import. I won't use it, but will probably give it to some young kids to use to get an idea of budgeting. It certainly isn't for people who really want to manage their money.

I've used quicken since 1986 - it's the only program I need windows for. I was hoping the Mac version update would allow me to switch, but it is missing investment basis tracking and direct bank data downloads. Thanks to you all I'm going to try moneydance.

Moneydance supports Wells Fargo and most other banks, prints, does budgets and multiple accounts, exports to spreadsheets, imports Quicken files, and is regularly updated by people who care. Give it a (free) trial. Highly recommended.

After ignoring the Mac for years, now they want to deliver crippled versions of their buggy software.

I'll never buy a Quicken product again. I recommend Moneydance as an excellent alternative.

Which has more features? QE or Mint.com?

"As soon as they get this to integrate with Mint.com, I'll consider it. Until then, no thanks!"

Intuit purchased Mint.com and then used their code for Quicken Essentials For Macintosh 2010. The foundation leverages core Mac OS X technologies, so it's built correctly from the ground up. That has to happen before features are added. The problem a lot of developers have is they try to add lots of features to a fragile foundation. Intuit is on track, count on more features being added over time.

Don Montalvo, TX

Quicken stinks for the Mac. Get YNAB - youneedabudget.com... Awesome piece of software. Kicks Quicken's but for getting your finances in order - never going back.

I've been using previous interations of Quicken for 15 years and have grumbled and spat over them the entire time. Intuit is just a lazy and mediocre (some might say lousy) Mac developer, period.

But inelegant though Quicken has been, it manages to do what I need, and after so many years, there are a few small features that we've come to rely on that would really be missed if I switched to iBank or MoneyWell. So against my ideal preferences, I've stuck with Quicken 2007.

Now I'm looking and QE and wondering if it's worth it or not. I don't use or need most of the 'missing' features (bill pay, portfolio tracking, check printing, etc), but I'm really on the fence about it.

Which brings me to my newest grumble about Intuit:

WHY IS THERE NO DEMO VERSION!?!?

To me this is further proof of Intuit's complete disconnect with the Mac user base. They continue to come across as oblivious to our expectations and needs, year after year after year. They are frustrating beyond belief. The day iBank adds a calendar feature, I'll be ditching Quicken for good. But until then, I'm waffling on QE.