If you’re in the market for Parallels, the PC virtualization software, and want to save a few bucks, you can take advantage of a deal offered by MacUpdate for the next 15 days.

The offer is $50 for a bundle that includes Parallels 5 plus a bunch of other utilities that may or may not be useful to you. That price is the same as the cost of upgrading from previous versions of Parallels, but keep in mind that you will still need to purchase a copy of Windows separately.

You can read about the offer at MacNN and get further details here.

Intuit has finally released the Mac update to Quicken 2007, Quicken Essentials. I haven’t purchased it, nor do I plan to, and while I don’t typically “review” software I haven’t seen, I thought it important to highlight a few things about this package.

You may not know this, but Quicken originated on the Apple ][ back in the infancy of the personal computer industry. At some point, they not only ported their software to Windows, but started adding features to it that did not exist on the Mac version. We Mac users were relegated to second-class status, all the while hoping for eventual parity with our Windows brethren.

Now, after four years since the last Mac version, Intuit has released Quicken Essentials, a complete rewrite specifically for the Mac. The new version has a revamped interface that they claim is easier to use, and it makes it easier to import data from the Windows version. Huzzah!

Unfortunately, it removes features that existed in Quicken 2007. Like the ability to pay bills online. Or enter, or even view, transactions in your investment accounts. Or export your data to TurboTax. You know, little features that might actually be considered “essential”. And for the privilege of getting snazzier icons with less ability, Intuit asks $70. Welcome to third-class.

I’m sure that, at some point, Intuit will add some or all of these features back to the Mac version even as they continue to improve their Windows software, but I will be sticking with the rapidly aging Quicken 2007 for now and exploring alternatives like iBank for the future.

For another opinion of this software, see Walt Mossberg’s review here.

Last week, Apple introduced its much-anticipated tablet, the iPad. There was plenty of speculation before the fact of what it might be, but much of it turned out to be just that. Here is a brief rundown of what it is and, perhaps more importantly, what it isn’t.

What It Is

Think of the iPad as a larger iPhone, or iPod Touch, that can’t make phone calls. It uses the same OS as those devices and connects to the Internet via an available WiFi signal, and some models can connect to via 3G with an extra data plan from AT&T that that runs either $15 or $30 per month depending on how much capacity you need. The price range of the iPad is $500 – $830.

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I’m pleased to announce the release of RegExRX, a regular expression editor and tester with many features designed to help in the development and storage of regular expressions. Based on the PCRE library, RegExRX will allow a user to craft patterns that are compatible with most regular expression flavors and will let them easily copy those patterns to other languages like Perl, Ruby, PHP and REALbasic.

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Let me start by saying this: If you are in the market for a new mobile phone and ask me which will best suit your needs, my answer will be an iPhone. Every day, for everybody, the answer is “iPhone”.

But I understand that some of you need to use, or even prefer, a Blackberry, and your main concern is how to sync and manage that device on your Mac. Until now, the solution has been software called The Missing Sync for Blackberry from Mark/Space, and while I still recommend that (especially over the PocketMac software that came with the Blackberry), it costs $40.

Now, Blackberry has released their free Blackberry Desktop Software that is supposed to let Mac users synchronize with their Address Book and iCal, and backup their Blackberries. It will also let you manage your Blackberry applications.

What you still can’t do with either software is synchronize over the air as you can with an iPhone coupled with a MobileMe account.

As an iPhone user, I have no way of testing this software to see if it lives up to its claims so my suggestion is, if you already have The Missing Sync, stick with that. If you use Mac OS X 10.4 or older, get The Missing Sync as the new Blackberry software requires 10.5.5 or better. If you have Leopard and aren’t syncing now, or are trying to use the PocketMac software that came with your device, try the new app instead. If it fails to meet your expectations, or is missing some features that you’d like, take a look at The Missing Sync.

I will be away on vacation starting Saturday, September 5, and returning on Monday, September 14.

In the past, I’ve provided completely accurate, if somewhat vague, details of my vacation plans, but these are serious times that demand serious accounts, so here is our itinerary: We will be vanishing.

That’s right. On Saturday morning, my wife and I will disappear as if into thin air, returning to the state of nothingness that existed before time, and will reemerge a little more than a week later, rested, whole, and 15 years younger. We won’t have any photographs to share, having ceased to exist, but expect that you will retain some recollection that we once graced your lives, much like a faraway dream you once had. (Disclaimer: Reversal of aging is not guaranteed, but you are welcome to flatter us.)

One guy that will keep on keeping on for the duration is Ed Covelli who will stand by in his mostly corporeal state to assist you if the need should arise. As always, he can be reached via e-mail or at 212/201-1465.

Apple last week released Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Although it contains a few new interface features (welcome back, Put Back!), it is mostly under-the-hood refinements designed to make the OS faster and more secure. You can read about some of the changes here and a detailed review here.

As always, you should let others become the early adopters and work out the kinks. The biggest concern is the compatibility of older applications, and you can find lists of what has been tested here and here. It’s also important to note that Snow Leopard will only run on Intel-based Macs. Those with PowerPC chips like the iMac G5 or the PowerMac series will go no further than OS X 10.5.

Finally, if you do decide to take the plunge, be sure to backup first, preferably to different media, just in case something goes wrong. In fact, the steps I outlined for upgrading to Leopard still apply. The only addition is to be sure to include “Rosetta” during the installation process.

As for me, I will be installing Snow Leopard later this month and will report any issues that you might need to be aware of.

For the past few months I’ve been having trouble downloading my bank statements through Quicken. With one bank, it was hit or miss, and with another, it just stopped working entirely, always returning an “OL-249” error. I finally discovered that there is an update to the security certificates that allows Quicken to make encrypted connections with the banks. To install it, go to this page and follow the instructions.

It would have been nice if the people at Intuit had actually publicized this…

When I first started MacTechnologies, there were limited options for staying in touch. Back in the day, e-mail was for universities and scientists, and cell phones were the stuff of science fiction so, to facilitate contact, I carried around a pager. It was a simple concept, and common too, that someone would dial a phone number, enter their own phone number, and this tiny device hanging from my belt would somehow get my attention.

Times have changed, of course, and now people stare in amazement at the once-ubiquitous technological wonder of yesteryear. But my clients were still comfortable with it, and it did the job. That is, until recently.

I now find that this once-indispensable device is reliable about 10% of the time, and I have been directing everyone to my main office number instead. The time has come to finally pull the plug.

As of now, my pager number (917/491-5546) will no longer be active. To reach me, please call the main number (212/201-1465) and leave a message, or drop me an e-mail, IM or fax (914/242-7294).

Ed Covelli will be taking a rare vacation starting next week. I understand that he will be going to an undisclosed location where the secret government scientists that created him will rebuild him from scratch, replacing each part with modern updates that will make him better, stronger, faster and more realistic looking than ever. Or he’s going golfing, I don’t know, I wasn’t really listening.

What I do know is that he will be leaving on July 6 and returning to work on July 22. During that time, I will be available to assist you, and you can reach me in the usual ways, like calling the main number at 212/201-1465.