The debate over which PC platform is best, Mac or Windows, has waged for years with both sides equally passionate about which OS reigns supreme. While there’s no single answer for every user, you can find a computer with the right characteristics to meet your computing needs. Here’s the low-down on the matchup between Mac and Windows.
Quicken Essentials for Mac. Quicken Essentials for Mac is designed to help you track and organize your personal financial data. It is best for simple households that do not need to track small. Quicken for Windows US is the first with most new features, followed by Non-US version and Mac versions, except with things like activation that canada got first.
WHERE THEY’RE EQUAL: Usability. You may have heard that Macs are more intuitive than Windows. In reality, neither OS is fundamentally easier to learn.
Novice computer users will face challenges learning to navigate either a Mac or a Windows system, and a user experienced with one platform will definitely experience frustrations if they try to switch. Design capabilities. Although Macs ruled the design world in the 80s and 90s, these days both operating systems are considered equal when you compare their design applications and abilities. Both Macs and Windows systems support a large variety of file types, offering cross-platform compatibility so designers can exchange ideas between Mac and Windows PCs with ease. WHERE THEY’RE NOT: Viruses and maintenance. Mac is the clear front runner in this category.
While Macs are no longer virus-free, malware remains far less prevalent in Macs. Windows users are plagued with driver updates, security patches and a need for regular anti-virus/ anti-malware scanning, which can lead to clutter within the system and speed issues due to memory consumption. One item of note: because Windows is so experienced with combating malware, they’re better suited to quickly address new security issues, whereas Apple tends to struggle with rapid response to new attacks. Software and gaming. Windows is the big winner here, as it offers a much larger library of compatible software options and nearly three times as many applications in its app store (versus the Mac app store).
While you’ll have no trouble finding Mac versions of big-name games or programs like Quicken or Photoshop, if you run a specific software application that isn’t as widely used you may find that it’s a Windows-only program. Graphics cards and compatible gaming hardware options are also limited for Macs, meaning gamers should stick to Windows. Almost all hardware is designed to work with Windows, a huge advantage when you need to upgrade or replace a malfunctioning part. If a key piece of hardware breaks or no longer supports your computing needs, Mac users have more limited upgrade capabilities. Apple sells high quality systems for top dollar; they don’t offer budget models. They don’t sell a less reliable motherboard or a slower processor at a discount.
Alternatively, there’s a huge variance in the quality and price of Windows-based PCs. A Windows PC with similarly reliable hardware wouldn’t be dramatically less expensive, but Windows systems are typically cheaper due to competition between manufacturers. Apple doesn’t sell custom machines, so if you want a larger hard drive in your new Mac, you’ll have to get a more expensive model that likely includes additional upgrades you wouldn’t otherwise choose to pay more for.
In conclusion, Windows PCs offer a lower purchase price, but may require more time and money over their lifetime to maintain (in the form of malware removal and the replacement of cheaper hardware) than a Mac. Windows offers a lower purchase price, but requires more time to maintainWhile Windows systems aren’t inherently easier to use, the popularity of the platform means that you’ll have an easier time finding people to help you if you encounter a problem and will likely have fewer compatibility issues with peripheral hardware or when sharing data with others. On the other hand, Apple products work great together so if you already have other Apple gadgets a Mac may get along nicely in your electronics family.
In the old days, people scrawled their numbers on paper. Determining if you were striking the right balance between life expenses and frivolity was a lot of work. It could take hours to calculate your income and expenses, much less figure out how much you were spending eating out, buying clothes, or wasting on bank fees and interest. Thankfully, the technological age has brought us many tools that make the process much simpler. Yet, with so many money management platforms out there, how do you know which one is right for you? Is the program really as user friendly as described? Can you import bank transactions easily?
Does the mobile app offer all the same functions as the online or desktop platform? To help you get your finances on track as quickly as possible, CreditDonkey has reviewed the top three budgeting tools - Mint, YNAB, and Quicken - to see how they stack up against each other. Study Methodology Here are the main factors we considered:. Setup Process. Capability. Support The first, and often most important, issue one faces when choosing budgeting software is the complexity of the setup process.
If it takes too long to enter your account information or create a budget, you have to wonder if you’ll be able to muster the time and energy to keep up the effort toward financial happiness. Once all the necessary information does get into the system, the richness of the data the software can compute becomes a key question, in addition to your ability to follow along. Some programs merely track whether you’re able to keep up with a budget while others can also be used to prepare for tax time and easily export information to the proper forms. Some programs carry over the budget you created from month to month while others require you to input each month’s budget separately. You will also want to consider what technical and educational support the software company offers.
Some companies provide optional tutorials on money management while others blatantly pinpoint areas where you could cut back, based on analysis of your personal data. Best Setup Process: Mint. Setup Process: Imports information directly from your bank, easy to use interface, auto-categorizes most transactions to match your budget, free, 5/5.
Capability: Doesn’t work with all banks (U.S. And Canada only), easy to quickly set up budgets that include savings goals online (but those goals don’t show up in the phone app), information is not exportable for tax purposes, 3/5.
Support: Run by a reputable company, information protected by 128-bit SSL encryption, responds to issues and requests by email, 4/5. CreditDonkey Score: 4/5 If you know you should get serious about your finances but don’t want to spend any money or dedicate much of your free time to budgeting, Mint is the program for you. It is a free online budgeting tool (and mobile app) that quickly and easily organizes your finances and helps you meet your monetary goals. Mint is owned by Intuit (the makers of Quicken). Both and have listed Mint as the best personal finance software available. Why We Like It Besides being free, Mint is so easy to use.
Just open an account online, log in to your bank accounts, create a budget, set some goals, and presto! You’re on your way to smarter spending. Unless you open a new account or your budget or goals change, all you need to do is keep an eye on the reports and add a tag to the occasional transaction Mint is unable to automatically categorize for you. Its Downsides You cannot manually add accounts into the Mint system. If your bank isn’t supported or you have a private loan, you won’t be able to track it properly. The goals you set up online are nowhere to be seen in the mobile app. Another issue worth noting: Mint is only a budgeting tool.
None of the data collected is usable for tax purposes nor will it remind you when it is time to pay your bills. Who It Works Best For Anyone who is new to online budgeting and hasn’t become enamored with similar software will likely favor this free tool.
Other Software to Consider AceMoney Lite rated higher than Quicken on Forbes’ list of best budgeting software options. The free version has nearly all Quicken’s features (its more robust counterpart costs $40).
It’s a bit less visually engaging than Quicken, but if you really need to pinch pennies, it seems worth sampling. If you are an independent contractor or operate a small side business, you will need a more powerful program than Quicken to prepare you for tax time. Quickbooks is the most popular small business accounting software. (Or, you can use a free program like Mint to manage your personal budget and use Quickbooks to calculate your “extra” income.) Quickbooks online accounts begin at $12.95 per month after a 30-day free trial.
We hope our research will leave you feeling motivated and inspired to get your finances in order and start saving towards your goals with ease. Everyone spends more when they aren’t paying much attention to where it’s going, but these days – when you can view your budgeting process at any time on your smartphone – there’s no excuse for spending blindly. Rachel Hoyt is a contributing writer at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Rachel Hoyt at Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone. Please support CreditDonkey on our mission to help you make savvy decisions.
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