Quicken for Mac double line register

KVVK

I used Quicken for Windows for years and I recently converted over to Mac Book Pro. One feature I got use to in Quicken for Windows is the double (two line) register.
Quicken for Mac does not seem to allow for this feature, that I can find. Is there a way to convert the register format from one line to two lines (like in Quicken for Widows)? If not, how can I adjust the register row height and modify the text height separately from the row height? I read all the pluses about a single row register (bravo). I find the single row register very compressed and this makes it difficult to visualize what I am looking at. I use a 14inch laptop.

jacobs

No, there is no 2-line register for Quicken Mac. The 2-line register in both Quicken Windows and the original Quicken Mac product were skeuomorphic (big word of the day!) designs based on a real-world checkbook register. The next-generation Quicken Mac did away with that for several reasons…

First, the classic paper checkbook register is fading into the past. When Quicken debuted in the 1980s, software often tried to show representations of objects people were familiar with, like a folder, a trash can, and a checkbook register. Nowadays, everyone has been using computers for many years, and most people no longer keep a paper register; younger users may have never even seen a checkbook register! And so the developers felt they didn't need to stick to that design to make it feel comfortable to users.

Second, Quicken was originally developed in an era of much smaller screens than we have now. I remember when a 12" monitor was all we had. So Quicken needed a user interface to show a lot of information in a window which couldn't be expanded too wide.

Third, the developers shared years ago that the single-line register in Quicken Mac allowed them to use features built into macOS for the display of lists, whereas a 2-line register would require extensive hand-coding of every element of the register display. (That use of macOS user interface elements is part of why Quicken Mac was able to implement Dark Mode long before the Quicken Windows developers, who are still working on it.)

Finally, the developers felt that the single-line display allowed them to offer the most flexibility for users to tweak registers — which fields, which order, what width — however they saw fit.

As you've read, there are advantages and disadvantages to the 1-line display in Quicken Mac. As mentioned, you can show or hide whatever columns you want, arrange them in the order you want, adjust the width of every column — and do this independently on each register. And it's easier for the eye/brain to skim a column of text or numbers when there aren't alternating lines of different data. The downside: if you use a lot of columns, you need to keep your Quicken window fairly wide — and you are constrained with this on your 14" laptop.

You can adjust the spacing between the rows in a register, though. Select View > Register Text & Row Settings. Experiment with the four different row heights available. I prefer "Compact" as a good middle ground for readability versus how much data I can see without scrolling, but you might prefer the more spaced "Comfortable" setting. In this same dialog box, you can also experiment with changing the front size in registers. The default size (13) works for me, but you might prefer a larger size for readability. The combination of a larger font size and wider line spacing can really help with readability. but the larger font side may mean you want to make your columns wider, which in turn might mean more horizontal scrolling on your small screen. It's all about finding the settings that work best for you.

I used the legacy Quicken Mac, with the 2-line display, for 20+ years, and when I first started using the new Quicken Mac, I found it jarring and wanted my familiar look back. As I used Quicken Mac for awhile, I began to appreciate the ease of scrolling and spotting things on a screenful of data more easily than the old 2-line display. Over time, I became totally sold on the 1-line display being better — for me at least. I sometimes still launch my old Quicken 2007 with its 2-line display, and now that looks jarring and less inviting! And I've found that many, many users coming from the legacy Quicken Mac and from Quicken Windows initially have the same initial reaction you've had, and I once had, wanting to get back the look I've been used to. In my observations, most people get used to the 1-line display once they've worked with it for some months, and most no longer yearn for their old w-line display. Since most of us don't like change, it takes awhile to adapt to it; try not to keep comparing Quicken Mac to the Quicken Windows you were used to — for this and many other things which are different — and give yourself some time to retrain your eye-brain-finger muscle memory. Hopefully after some time, you'll come around to liking this new interface better, as I did.

Finally, if you want to add your vote to the Idea thread (feature request) on this forum for the developers to build a 2-line display in Quicken Mac, click here and add your vote in the yellow box under the first post.