Sage 50, PC vs Mac: Does Sage 50 work on a Mac? Is this blog the definitive answer?

3 minute read time.

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Here at Sage we often get asked the following question:  does Sage 50 work on a Mac? We decided to try and answer this question the best way we could with this blog.  Most Mac users we know are artists, they love their Mac as it lets them work without worrying about performance, speed, updates and such. To them, this means nothing stops or slows the flow of creativity: which is reason #1 why Mac users are…well, Mac users.

Now, since Windows has close to 90 % of the desktop operating system market share*, it only makes good business sense that Sage would create a software to work with Windows. Also, as of now, our Research and Development team are not presently testing on Mac systems but focused on developing integrated cloud solutions as well (more on this next blog!).

“I’m not giving up my Mac!” you say? Well, here are some options for you, and what some Mac users had to say about them.

First and foremost since Sage 50 will only operate in a Windows environment, you have to recreate this PC environment in your Mac. Here are a couple of ways to do it.

Boot Camp

The new Intel based Macs come pre-loaded with a feature called Boot Camp. This is a utility built into the Mac OS that will set up and install Windows on its' own partition on the hard drive.
 

This means that part of your hard disk is set aside to run Windows and Windows only upon bootup. This is what Mike had to say about it: “I've been operating this way on a MacBook Pro (laptop) for the better part of 2 years with NO issues. It, in fact, runs better than it did on my old PC.”

Additional info via Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Camp_(software)

Additional info via Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201468

Virtual Machines (Parallels and VMware Fusion)

Virtual machines allow you to run an operating system in a window on your Mac desktop. The most common ones are Parallels and VM-Ware Fusion.

Parallels:

Parallels Desktop for Mac will run Windows on your Mac without rebooting. You can then use Windows apps like they are native to Mac or PC. Here’s what Chris had to say: “I can vouch for Sage running in Parallels and Windows XP without a problem. I do however recommend that you get as much memory as you can with as fast a processor as possible as Parallels uses a huge amount of memory.” 

Additional info via Parallel: https://www.parallels.com/ca/

VMware:

VMware Fusion is also an easy, fast and reliable way to run Window applications on a Mac without rebooting. Copy and paste between screens, access shared documents seamlessly. It is recommended for new and existing Mac users who want to continue running the Windows applications they can't live without like Sage 50. Here is what Sarah said: “Hi I use VMware on Windows 7.  I have payroll, Sage 50. Sage Accounts and CT production and they all work fine. 

Additional info via VMware: http://www.vmware.com/ca/products/fusion.html

About Sage One 

Last but not least, Sage offers a cloud solution. We have recently rolled out our new pride and joy, Sage One.  A stripped down version of the desktop application Sage 50.

Sage One is an online accounting software that does invoicing and books revenue. It also links your bank accounts and credit cards. You can send customer statements and receipts electronically and get paid online (use Paypal & SPS). And the best part: you can use it online from any browser or device (own an Ipad?). The Sage 50C package option now incorporates Sage One (more on this next blog!) allowing you to connect and import transactions info Sage 50 the desktop application for advanced accounting (i.e. payroll, financial statement creation, etc).

Here is what Dan had to say: “I would recommend Sage One accounting software for the small to medium-sized business. Someone who wants to look at their books but not necessarily do them.”

Additional info on Sage One:  http://go.na.sage.com/S1CA_ASNonBranded_GirlMug_videoEN_accounting_Extend50off?gclid=Cj0KEQjwgJq-BRCFqcLW8_DU9agBEiQAz8Koh8ZGe7Jc6-M16T6nX30-FDIwz2xbHsYUOTE9FbxDeDAaAhfC8P8HAQ

Hopefully this provides some information and points you in the right direction.  Thanks for reading!

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*source : http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0