You have to initiate a new entry (with Command-N or a menu selection) and then you can start filling things in. Quickbooks still retains this type of entry - neither Quicken Essentials or the new Quicken 2015 have this in the same way. The onscreen register was just like a regular checkbook register BUT with the wonderful added benefit of Quickfill (something which could never be accomplished with a regular manual checkbook register. The original Quicken always had the others beat hands down because data entry mimicked exactly what all of us had done for years with regular 'analog' checkbooks. The key elements for me has always been ease of data entry and reporting (the sort of reports I want to make). The 'new' Quicken 2015 is okay, very much like Quicken Essentials (which I had just about gotten used to) but I don't do any of the linking to bank accounts or tracking investments or any of those other things. I'm running Quicken 2015, Quicken Essentials, Quicken 2007 (re-coded for Lion/Maverick compatibility, sort of), QuickBooks Pro and at various times most ALL of the other alternatives (iBank, Moneydance, etc., etc.).
