I have parallels on my mac to run just 2 stinkin' programs.. Collages Desktop and Quickbooks....
well, Collages is coming out any day now with their ROES version to be used on win AND MAC (YAY!), and I actually just found out Quickbooks has a MAC version... well, I was told from a fellow tog' friend that I can call a umber and get the MAC version for free,.. but I tried calling the generic sales number ont he website, and NUH-UH- I have to pay the "fee" of $199... WTF??
So, I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this, and if you have a direct number for me to call?
Thanks in advance!

If you have parallels, just use Internet Explorer and get Quickbooks Online. If your CPA is a quickbooks pro adviser, they'll give you a deep discount on the monthly fee.
We use it and love it.

I guess I didn't explain it the best way...
I don't WANT to use Parallels anymore.. I don't WANT to use anything WIN related! So I just want to use QB on my MAC side, so I need the MAC version of QB, and was told I could basically get that version for FREE... so that's why I was asking:)

Thanks for your reply, though!

Unfortunately, the Mac version of QB is really behind the PC version. I've heard from several people that they don't like it at all. Apparently, it's buggy as well. That's why those people (including me) use QB's online. But since it relies on ActiveX to run, you have to use Internet Explorer.
I'm not saying you shouldn't get QB for Mac but don't think it's going to be exactly like the PC version. Intuit has concentrated more on their PC line of software.
Can't help you with the price issue though. You'd think they'd just switch over the licensing like Adobe does.

oh i see. thanks for explaining that.
grrr.
well, I don't use QB to the full extent as I probably should. I really just use it for cc processing, and keep all other client accounting info separately. I'll check out the online version.. maybe I can use it on my hubby's laptop. Do you know if that will be additional to the software I already have, in terms of paying? Thanks!

There is no software to download. It simply uses IE. So anywhere you can access a computer with IE on it, you'll be able to get to your account. You can give your CPA a username and password so he/she can access and change anything you mess up (which I do regularly). Also, QB's online has excellent customer service. If you need any help what-so-ever, they're there to help you, either via chat or a phone call. And it's free. So if you have a question about anything, they should be able to answer it. Each time, I've been very impressed with how friendly they were.
It works simply as a month to month fee basis. Let us know how it goes!

ricks right here, the mac version is way behind, and unless you have only purchased the pc version and want to switch then they wont give you a code, at adobe they will transfer a cs3 copy of windows to the same cs3 of mac, but your codes will be expired.

if you want to try again at quickbooks to see if this is correct, try calling again to get another worker maybe they do endorse this principal but i doubt it.

the mac version is fine if you just need the right out basics, but the pc version is MUCH more advanced.

Hope you get everything sorted Amy.

Just wanting to go Mac-only for QB is not a good enough reason IMO. Like the others said, QB for Mac is not the same thing as QB for PC.

Why that is, well, is a complete mystery to me. My guess: The Intuit people got extra stupid and decided to make a completely new and independent code base instead of simply porting over the PC code to an OSX-compatible version.

Stick with Parallels. Having the ability to run PC programs is not a bad thing. There are still quite a few ones out there that are worthwhile...

Though I've heard that VMWare takes up less of your memory than Parallels. I haven't experienced it myself but will when I install VMWare tomorrow.

it does, but i found it was slow when using heavier programs,so i stuck with parallels even with the size. crossover is similar to vmware

That is the reason I went toward AccountEdge. It is more robust that either version of Quickbooks, it handles payroll, inventory and many other thing that Quickbooks requires plugins. My accountant liked AccountEdge so much that he switched from Quickbooks to AccountEdge.