Apple Mac HQ

If you’ve been reading the blog for more than a few months, no doubt you heard me talk about MacHeist before. The folks behind MacHeist released a boxless “retail bundle” recently. Basically it’s like the other MacHeist software bundles but without the hoopla involved; missions, locked applications, etc.

The bundle includes 12 applications and will set you back $49 USD. The bundle will be on sale for a “limited time”, but no word on exactly how long it will last. Here’s a list of the applications included:

Awaken
Cha-Ching
CoverSutra
DEVONthink Personal
iClip
Overflow
Wallet
WriteRoom
XSlimmer
Enigmo
Bugdom 2
Nanosaur 2

I purchased the last MacHeist bundle but I’m going to skip this one. While there is no denying the value of the bundle, there just doesn’t seem to be that “must have” or killer app to take it over the top. Both the previous MacHeist bundle contained that one applications that pretty much sealed the deal to purchase it. While that killer application will vary from user to user, an application like TextMate or Pixelmator can really bring in the buyers.

The bundle is on sale now and you can buy it HERE.

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you’ve been following the blog lately you’ll likely notice I’ve talked a lot about iBank and Cha-Ching. In my opinion those two applications are two of the best Mac money management applications. I’ve used them both a lot and while I think iBank is the more full featured application, I’ve stuck with Cha-Ching based on the UI and ease of use.

In my iBank vs Cha-Ching comparison, I noted the versions I tested. Since that comparison, iBank 3 was released. Now, the folks behind Cha-Ching have released some mockups for Cha-Ching 2.0 (below).

The folks behind Cha-Ching have released about 8 mockups of what Cha-Ching 2.0 might look like. While these aren’t screenshots of the actual application, you can probably expect some of the design in the mockups to make their way into the released product. You can view the entire set of mockups in their Cha-Ching 2.0 Mockups Flickr Set. There is even an RSS feed so that when new mockups (or maybe screenshots) are added to the set you’ll be notified.

There is no word on a release date for the Cha-Ching 2.0 beta. The current version is 1.2.2 and it will set you back $40. You can download a demo of the current version from the Midnight Apps website today.

Popularity: 50% [?]

One of the heavyweights in Mac money management software received a significant update yesterday. iBank 3 was released by IGG Software after about three weeks in public beta. The update to iBank 3 will cost existing users $29.99 and new users will pay $59.99. iBank 3 is Leopard only.

There’s a gallery of screenshots available if you want to see the new interface. iBank 3 includes the following new features:

• Direct transaction downloads from your financial institution
• Interactive graphs via Core Animation
• High resolution category images
• .Mac syncing and editing with iPhone and iPod touch
• Cover Flow for your transactions
• Drag and drop support
• Loan management
• Export your tax records to various tax software packages

I played with one of the iBank 3 betas and thought it was OK. I didn’t really use some of the new features so I uninstalled it after only a day or two. I’ve been going back and forth over using iBank or Cha-Ching for my money management needs so I’ll probably take another look at iBank 3 since I’m a paid iBank 2 user.

If you’ve tested the new iBank post your comments below.

Popularity: 28% [?]

One category of software that I’ve come to rely on recently is money management software. A few years ago I was single and had to keep track of only one bank account, one credit card, one checkbook, and one person. Since I’ve gotten married, I found a definite need to keep track not only of how much money we have, but where it’s going, and when it’s leaving our bank account. I’m going to review two popular Mac money management applications and hopefully this review will help you decide which is right for you. Throughout this review if you see a picture that appears small, clicking on the picture will bring up a larger one.

For the last half of 2007, I used a product called iBank. As I came to rely on iBank more and more, I also began to notice its strengths and weaknesses. I relied on iBank so much, that I named it one of the applications I couldn’t live without in 2007. iBank was missing one feature that would make it complete (more on that later), and because of that I decided to look at another application.

Included in the MacHeist bundle was an application that initially I didn’t think much about, Cha-Ching. Cha-Ching is billed as a “fun and easy to use money manager with a slick interface”. Since I was using iBank, I didn’t really have a need for Cha-Ching. As I began to make a budget for 2008 however, I decided to give Cha-Ching a try.

Application Information
In this comparison I’m using Cha-Ching 1.2.2 and iBank 2.3.12. Pricing for Cha-Ching is $40, while iBank will set you back $50. You can download a transaction limited demo of each application from the developers websites. In addition to the current release, each developer is working on a beta version of the next version of their software.

Supported Accounts
Both Cha-Ching and iBank support checking, savings, credit card accounts. In addition to those, iBank also supports an investment account and even liability and asset accounts. Each program uses a simple add account dialog box to setup a new account. Edge: iBank

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 71% [?]