That is indeed a reason to question your general judgement but right now you are the best I can do in terms of an advice in regards to the First Direct banking experience. However the fact that you are a mac user deserves a careful consideration so I will adjust downwards the weight that your opinion might have on a choice of my future banking institution.

Can somebody who is a pc user give credibity to oceanicitl's statements and confirm that what she is saying is indeed correct?

*runs

*slaps* lol

I use the internet banking on PC too and the text service is invaluable. They send me weekly texts and also if my balance gets within £50 of the overdraft limit.

I'm with Nationwide.
Online service is very good and I can walk to a local branch in town when I need to. If it's busy they normally have at least one person going down the queue and asking people if they are just paying in (which they can do at places other than the counter) or if they could use the fast pay machines (and they show them how to use them if they don't know).

Only downside is that they've stopped paying interest on their current account completely (not even 0.1%).
I was tempted to move back the Halifax but I still haven't forgiven them for shafting me when I got my first mortgage (was told one rate all the way through until we got to the actually signing the bits of paper when they said 'Oh, you're technically re-mortgaging (long story) so the rate will be this higher one.' To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement.).

I'm sure if that option was offered in Australia the balance fee query would cost $51, putting you immediately into an unauthorised overdraft which would incur another fee.

They charge to obtain your balance??

We in the UK actually have cheap banking. In many countries they charge a monthly fee for an account, a fee / transaction (cheque, DD etc) and for many queries