Mac Alternatives to Quicken

Q:

I have just been notified that Quicken 2007 for the Mac won’t run on Apple’s new Lion operating system. I don’t wish to use the new Quicken Essentials for Mac program, which has fewer features. What are the alternatives?

A:

There are other full-featured finance programs for the Mac, whose makers say they will work with Lion and can import your data from Quicken. Two better-known ones are iBank and Moneydance. I haven’t reviewed either yet, so I can’t say how they measure up. Another option is to install Windows on your Mac, or buy a cheap Windows PC, and run Quicken for Windows. Intuit, the maker of Quicken, says on its support site that, while the Windows version can import most data from the Mac versions, it cannot import investment history. Intuit says: “You will need to either re-download your investment transactions or manually enter them.”

Q:

How do I put my computer to sleep?

A:

If it’s a Windows 7 PC, click on the “Start” button at the far left of the task bar. In the menu that pops up, click on the arrow icon to the right of the search box (it may be next to a button labeled “Shut Down.”) Select “Sleep” from the list that pops up.

If it’s a Mac, click on the Apple icon at the far left of the top menu bar and select “Sleep.”

Q:

How can I utilize my Slingbox for watching TV on an iPad?

A:

There’s an app for that, but it costs $30 and only works with two Slingbox models, the Slingbox SOLO and Slingbox PRO-HD. The company has a discounted upgrade program for people with older models. Information is at slingbox.com/go/iPad.

Email mossberg@wsj.com.