Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 Before I pull the trigger on Parallels, for the express purpose of running Homeschool Tracker, are there any Mac users who would NOT do it again? Is Homeschool Tracker that much better than the free Homeschool Skedtrack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 I don't know anything about homeschool tracker, but we are fairly happy with Parallels. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 our mac side runs slower when parallels is open, but dh thinks it's because we didn't assign enough memory to the parallels side. We have yet to re-do it so I can't say for certain. I know i'm glad to be able to use windows programs such as my embroidery program and pdf tools though so it's worth it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 I have never heard of this! I finally figured out how to optimize iCal and am quite happy with that. But now I will have to have a peek at these options.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 I have never heard of this! I finally figured out how to optimize iCal and am quite happy with that. But now I will have to have a peek at these options.... LOL....I just figured out my iCal this weekend! I was so proud that I can now have a school calendar that is different from our family calendar. Like everything with my Mac, it wasn't intuitive, but once I figured it out, it's easy. My only beef with Apple right now is that their "help" menu stinks, and things aren't easy to figure out. I need a manual! :-) But other than that, I love my Mac and am glad I made the switch. As my kids approach high school, I want the ability to print grades, report cards (my dd requested this), transcripts, diplomas, etc. I like Skedtrack, but it doesn't let me do things that should be obvious, such as printing weekly assignments (one page per kids, all subjects). So now I'm looking at Homeschool Tracker, which everyone seems to like, but I need Windows. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 I don't know anything about homeschool tracker, but we are fairly happy with Parallels. Laura Thanks, Laura. I don't know that I need Parallels for anything but this one program, which is why I hesitate to buy it. What else do you use? Something I'm missing but I really can't live without? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 our mac side runs slower when parallels is open, but dh thinks it's because we didn't assign enough memory to the parallels side. We have yet to re-do it so I can't say for certain. I know i'm glad to be able to use windows programs such as my embroidery program and pdf tools though so it's worth it for me. So if I get it, we need to assign plenty of memory. Hmmmm, but doesn't that take away from my "Mac side"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 LOL....I just figured out my iCal this weekend! I was so proud that I can now have a school calendar that is different from our family calendar. Like everything with my Mac, it wasn't intuitive, but once I figured it out, it's easy. My only beef with Apple right now is that their "help" menu stinks, and things aren't easy to figure out. I need a manual! :-) But other than that, I love my Mac and am glad I made the switch. As my kids approach high school, I want the ability to print grades, report cards (my dd requested this), transcripts, diplomas, etc. I like Skedtrack, but it doesn't let me do things that should be obvious, such as printing weekly assignments (one page per kids, all subjects). So now I'm looking at Homeschool Tracker, which everyone seems to like, but I need Windows. Sigh. I'm using iCal for assignments and lesson planning. I work outside the home, with chaotic hours, and it helps to have everything in one place. I can print daily lessons (one page) with assignments to be completed while I'm at work, which is great. (I enter that text in the notes section of the "work" blob for my calendar.) Work I do with my son is entered into a separate calendar. I can choose which calendars I want to print, which is handy. But yeah, not having transcripts and stuff is a bummer. I did all that in Word for my oldest, who is a senior this year. I didn't realize their was a Mac program out that did all that stuff. Maybe my youngest's high school transcript production will be less painful...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 So if I get it, we need to assign plenty of memory. Hmmmm, but doesn't that take away from my "Mac side"? Wait. What are we actually talking about here. Could you back up and explain this, as if you were talking to someone who is very, very slow? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Thanks, Laura. I don't know that I need Parallels for anything but this one program, which is why I hesitate to buy it. What else do you use? Something I'm missing but I really can't live without? :D you don't need Parallels unless you want the convenience of not having to reboot when you need to access the Windows side. the included, and therefore free, Boot Camp works fine if you don't mind rebooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 7, 2010 Author Share Posted April 7, 2010 Wait. What are we actually talking about here. Could you back up and explain this, as if you were talking to someone who is very, very slow? :D You have to understand we have the blind leading the blind here...:lol: This is me: :banghead: whenever I think about installing something that needs me to dictate memory requirements. But here goes: Let's start with Homeschool Tracker: http://www.homeschooltracker.com/default.aspx This is the program that I think I want. I've been through all the screen shots, and I like the fact that it has a calendar similar to Outlook/iCal, that I can print off weekly assignment sheets, that it tracks everything, and that it will print grades/transcripts/etc. All this for $49. But, it is a Windows platform, and they recommend (click "The Plus Edition" and then on the left click "system requirements") that I buy Parallels, which is a program that allows me to run Windows simultaneously with the Apple platform on my Mac. Parallels is $80. So, I'm really wondering whether those people who spent $80 in order to buy a $50 program think it was worth it. Currently, and for only for the past 3 months, I use Homeschool Skedtrack: https://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/ It's free, and it does a lot (grades, daily schedule with little boxes for the kids to check off when they've accomplished the task, etc) but no calendar view to see what everybody is doing, and no way to print off a weekly assignment sheet per child. I can do all that in Pages or Numbers, and I have been, but it's double the work. As I gear up for high school (which is not for 2 years), I want to experiment and see what I like the best for the busier-than-ever high school years. Clear as mud? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Wait. What are we actually talking about here. Could you back up and explain this, as if you were talking to someone who is very, very slow? :D Nicole, Homeschool Tracker only runs on Windows. However, you can run it if you use a program called Parallels on your Mac. Parallels is a Windows emulator. Or, if you have a newer Mac, you can actually boot up into Windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Nicole, Homeschool Tracker only runs on Windows. However, you can run it if you use a program called Parallels on your Mac. Parallels is a Windows emulator. Or, if you have a newer Mac, you can actually boot up into Windows. Parallels is not a Windows emulator. it is a shell environment upon which the actual Windows operating system can be installed on a mac. Any Intel mac comes with a program called Boot Camp. Boot Camp allows you to divide your mac into a mac side and a side on which you can install windows. with Boot Camp you have to reboot (restart) your computer to work within either operating system. Parallels also enables you to install the Windows operating system; the difference is that with Parallels you can switch between the two operating systems without rebooting. Elinor, if i were you i'd try out Homeschool Tracker with Boot Camp to keep costs down. if you found you really liked the Homeschool Tracker program and wanted the convenience of not rebooting, you could still install Parallels. also realize that whether you use Boot Camp or Parallels, you also have to own a copy of Windows to install so that may be another expense for you. btw, Parallels is $66 at Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Sweet baby pumpernickel! This conversation is reminding me of when I was trying to get my son's college application materials uploaded to the Common Application website and had so much trouble, I turned to my boy and said, "I'm sorry. It looks like you won't be able to go to college, honey, because Mommy can't figure out this website. Latin? Check! Great literature? Check! Blowing things up in the kitchen? Check! But the application? Uh-uh. Nosirreebob." Deirdre, this makes me feel like I should bow down and pay homage to the great god of your intellect: Parallels is not a Windows emulator. it is a shell environment upon which the actual Windows operating system can be installed on a mac. :svengo: Is that English? Okay. I'll pretend I'm kidding now, and wish you luck, Elinor. I do understand your dilemma, and it's a stinker. This was the eye-opening and wonderful thing for me about iCal, that I can see everyone's schedule in the weekly view, nice and tidy, and then print various elaborate calendars for specific members of the family quite easily. It would be nice to have all those bells and whistles in one program. You let us know when you figure it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 7, 2010 Author Share Posted April 7, 2010 realize that whether you use Boot Camp or Parallels, you also have to own a copy of Windows to install so that may be another expense for you. Ah! It just keeps getting better & better. :tongue_smilie: I think I'll take your advice & use Homeschool Tracker with Boot Camp, and see if Homeschool Tracker is all that. If it's just something I can't live without (and I'm doubting it by this point), then I guess I can buy Windows & Parallels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 7, 2010 Author Share Posted April 7, 2010 It would be nice to have all those bells and whistles in one program. You let us know when you figure it out! BUT....BUT...whine.....whine.......I wanted YOU (or someone) to figure it out for me!! What I really want is just the dratted program to be fully compatible with Macs. I mean, come on, people! It's the Apple Revolution! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Ah! It just keeps getting better & better. :tongue_smilie: I think I'll take your advice & use Homeschool Tracker with Boot Camp, and see if Homeschool Tracker is all that. If it's just something I can't live without (and I'm doubting it by this point), then I guess I can buy Windows & Parallels. but remember, to use Homeschool Tracker you need Boot Camp (which is already on your Mac) AND Windows - which you may already have if you used to have a Windows PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Not HS tracker - I bought EduTrack - and HATED it. We have our mac split to bootcamp & windoze and regular mac. I don't care what these people say ("it will work GREAT!") - it never does. I use MyHomeschoolPlan and I love it. When I signed up as a beta user, it was free, but now it is still ridiculously cheap. It is web based, entirely mac friendly, and he can do that little "check off" thing you mentioned. The guy is adding stuff to it all of the time and accepts suggestions for new stuff. I think, by the time it becomes a "retail program" it will offer as much as all of the convoluted programs out there that don't work on macs. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I don't use it, but the boys do. The computer training programme that Calvin uses is Windows based. The classical civilisation course that he uses is optimised for Internet Explorer (the formatting is weird on Safari and Firefox) so he uses Parallels to run that. Their biggest problem is that there are three users on that computer, each with a different area set up. If someone forgets to close Parallels in their area then there's not enough memory left to run it in another person's area. Apart from that: it does freeze occasionally, but not often enough to be a problem. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Sorry for the imprecise terminology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 BUT....BUT...whine.....whine.......I wanted YOU (or someone) to figure it out for me!! What I really want is just the dratted program to be fully compatible with Macs. I mean, come on, people! It's the Apple Revolution! :party: I have begged my husband for years to write one. He has the beginnings of one. :001_rolleyes: I'm about to try HST myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 So if I get it, we need to assign plenty of memory. Hmmmm, but doesn't that take away from my "Mac side"? IDK it's all conjecture at this point in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dymphna57 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 The rest of the fam have turned Apple on my only because they can still run some program. For my dh it is ReVit and AudoCad, for my ds it is something else but for me, I need HST+. I guess I mean to say that parallels just might be in your future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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