My brother just emailed and asked me if I had Microsoft Excel. (We are trying to get some of my mother's finances figured out.) I do on this computer. When (if?) I get my new Macbook pro....will this sort of thing be a problem? Does the Mac software read MS? Or do I have to get a copy of MS office to run on the Intel "side" of the new Macbooks? This stuff really has me in a quandry. I suppose it would all get sorted out AFTER I get one...but these little questions keep popping up. Then I wonder if I have to do all that to function with things I need to do....is it worth it?
Kathyl, you have some choices. There is a version of Excel (2004) that is available for Macs (I have it, but the new version should be out early in the year), and that will read documents created on the Windows version. It's a major expense to get it, though, and I'm not sure how well it interacts with the new 2007 version of Office for Windows.
A second option would be to go ahead and use your Windows version via a copy of Windows that you would install on your Mac. You can do that via BootCamp (it comes with the OS on the new machines), which requires you to reboot your Mac into Windows (it actually *becomes* a Windows machine) and then reboot into the Mac OS when you want to do something Mac-like. Not convenient, but it works very well, from what I hear. Or you could spring for Parallels or Fusion, either of which allows you to run Windows *inside* of your Mac OS -- no rebooting necessary. I use Parallels, and I love that I never even see the Windows desktop; my EQ6, for example, appears to be running on my Mac desktop, even though it's really running in Windows!
A third option would be to download a free or low-cost Office wannabee, like NeoOffice or OpenOffice. These are supposed to allow you to work with Office documents without actually purchasing Office. Whether or not those documents would then transfer seamlessly back to the "real" Excel is something I don't really know, but a little research online should answer that question.
Just another thought... If you strictly are looking for financial management... have you considered Quicken? I'm pretty sure there is a Mac version. It is very user friendly. Allows you to basically create a checkbook where you post the check #, date, payee, amount and then assign it to a category.
The reconcile function is easy to use as well. You can set up budgets, print reports... and more. At the click of a mouse, you can know how much you spend at any one store, or on any one category (how much groceries? auto fuel? quilting! YIKES -- that one got me in trouble! LOL)
If your Mother has investments - there is a feature to track those -- but as I'm not savvy enough to invest... I've never used it.
Quicken is much less expensive that Excel if you find yourself needing to purchase software. And it will be much more user friendly than setting up all the formula's in Excel (unless you or your brother are already knowledgeable on that front). Just another way you might consider tracking her finances.
Wow! Could you just move next door to me? Please?? No? I guess you wouldn't want to give up the desert lifestyle to play in our varied conditions. Yes, that does help tremendously. It appears I will basically build up a Windows "side" and a Mac "side" with regard to the programs I need to run. Would you recommend trying to install the Windows programs from old backup discs included with my desktop? Or do you think I should look for all new versions to start anew? Ok....since I'm not a Mac user yet....you said..."then reboot into the Mac OS when you want to do something Mac-like." What would I be doing that's "Mac like"? Can you tell that I think I want one, but I'm not sure why???? :-)
At the moment, we were just using Excel because that's what my brother plugged the info into when he went through my dad's files. It just made me curious as to whether I'd be able to open what he sent me if I had my new laptop. I use MS Money here at home...paying bills will be a new adventure for my mother. I doubt I'll be tracking her finances with a computer program. Thanks for the suggestion though. I'll keep it on file for my decision making!
You will probably have the iWork application suite with your new Mac. It can do most of the same stuff as Excel (with less features you'll never need and a lot less bugs). If you're starting from scratch that's the obvious way to go. Similarly if you're reading Excel files (from either Macs or Windows machines) with ordinary numerical stuff in them - the spreadsheet in iWork can deal with those.
You only really need Excel if you're dealing with files created by other people who don't know where to stop using all the whizzbangs that program has. The one time I've had to deal with this was with somebody who had got involved in a weird kind of numerology that told you what herbs to eat at what times depending on your birthdate - utterly trashy New Age rubbish. The inventor of this system had marketed it as training courses in his own Excel-based herbo-numerology calculator that used all sorts of arcane macros. He never documented his system, never had any collaborators, and died suddenly (his heart must have tried dividing by zero). It didn't take long before the system simply wouldn't work on this (not very bright) Mac user's setup, thanks to the incompatibilities between different Excel versions. It's one of the few times when I've been positively delighted to tell somebody that their pet computer project was as dead as a dead thing.
============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
You have that right, Kathyl! ;) But you're welcome to come play in the sunshine here and perhaps get a few tips or pointers, if I can help. :)
If you have *original* old disks and they're compatible with the version of Windows you plan to install, you could use those. However, if at all possible, I'd go for new versions. For one thing, the old ones may not be compatible with the Windows version you install (and that also must be a "stand-alone" version -- not one included with a computer and therefore "hooked" to it). For another, the newer versions are likely to be nicer.
BTW, Kate mentioned Quicken. It *is* available for Macs, and I use it. However, I haven't updated in about four years; I'm happy with the version (2004) I have, and I plan to look around and see if there's something I may be even happier with, if I ever have to get something newer.
Well, the whole reason for getting a Mac would be to avoid using Windows for as much as possible, wouldn't it? So you'd probably want to do your web-surfing with Safari (included with the OS) or Firefox (free download). You'd probably want to get your email on your Mac (it comes with Mail, and there are others available for download, some free, some not), and you'd probably want to read the NG on your Mac (I use MT-NewsWatcher -- free). That's just for starters. In addition, iPhoto, which comes with your Mac, is very good basic photo-handling and
-storing software. DVD Player is great for watching movies, if your DVD machine isn't in the same room as your computer (like mine ), and there are also apps for making DVDs and for putting together video content, if you have a video camera (I don't).
If you do any chatting with friends or family, you may want to use iChat
-- as long as your buddies are on AIM. If not, Skype (free download) works very well -- that's what my DT (a Windows user) and I use almost daily, except right now when her ISP has reduced her to dial-up service for some unfathomable reason. :S
There's Address Book for keeping track of everyone you know; there's Calculator that can "translate" units of measurement into different systems (metric vs. imperial, for example), as well as doing regular calculations; there's Dictionary that can look up practically any word that you can double-click; there's iTunes to keep track of your music (that's available for Windows, too, though) -- and all of that and more comes with your new Mac.
In addition, I have purchased ($25, I think) an *excellent* recipe-management app (MacGourmet -- NAYY) and some other apps to make life nicer. You will probably find that you need to do very little in your Windows emulator! In fact, just about all I do in mine is work with EQ6 and use my French/English/French dictionary. Everything else is done in my Mac OS. :D
Now THAT'S just what I wanted to hear! A good run down of the reasons and situations where I would use the Mac. I've not seen any comments anywhere about someone using the Bernina software with their Mac. But I imagine that it would be just fine in the Windows environment. And thanks for spelling out the reasons to get the new software for installation. That was a grey area for me. I'm sure this won't be the last question. But it might be a while before I think of others! Thanks again.
You're more than welcome, Kathyl. I'm glad to have been able to help. As for the Bernina software, I can't really help there, but I do recall reading a post on another group where someone said she'd gotten her Bernina software to work just fine on her Mac. Now I don't know whether that was in the Windows OS on her Mac or in the Mac OS, but at least it worked. :)
I am about to buy an iMac, as my good old Mac [sys 9] is close to eight years old, and has begun to make some odd noises [sigh!].
I have used Aldus Superpaint for my designing needs all these years, but it won't transfer to sys 10.
Would anyone have a suggestion for a drawing program for the Mac that would do the basic shapes and allow me to fill those shapes with different dot patterns? Or anything the equivalent?
Can't help you w/ your question; I'm dreadfully "behind the times" re: newer Mac technology. Just want to say....I have system 9.1 on my old Mac. (It's used only to create newsletters, invitations and such) I've got to replace it soon, too, and I hate it! The problem is, it is becoming impossible to find peripherals that are compatible. All the new printers require minimin OX10. Sigh. I love my old Mac.
Martha, I used to use SuperPaint, too! I loved it for lots of things. I don't really need it these days, but I do have a low-cost thing called GraphicConverter. Its main purpose is to convert one type of graphic to another, but it also has drawing tools and fills. It has a demo version (really the full version but not paid for) that you could try out. Another idea would be to go to and search for other drawing programs that you might like. HTH!
BTW, if you like OS 9, I think you'll love OS X! It's much nicer, IMHO
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