MacOS Catalina, Apple’s most recent operating system for Mac, launched in October last year, with a host of new features and functionality. Catalina offers some significant changes and improvements, but it’s important to note that the new operating system will not work on all Macs. If your Mac was able to run macOS Mojave, chances are it will be able to run Catalina – but some applications will no longer be supported.
One of Catalina’s features which has been causing some confusion is the fact that Catalina only supports 64-bit applications. This is a problem for users of AccountEdge software, as this has 32-bit architecture and will not function on Catalina.
MYOB Australia, the provider of AccountEdge software, recently released the following statement:
“We regret to tell you it will not be possible to make AccountEdge Catalina-compliant. Despite exploring a range of options to meet the requirements of the Catalina upgrade, we have been advised it will not be possible to deliver a solution which will allow AccountEdge to operate as it does today.
“If you have not upgraded to Catalina, no immediate change is required. We will actively support AccountEdge for the foreseeable future, providing all the same updates, including fresh tax tables, to enable those on previous operating systems to proceed as normal.”
Your options are as follows:
- If you are happy to go Cloud-based, Xero is a really good and popular option.
- If you want to stay on-premises, consider Moneyworks.
- If you insist on staying with MYOB, they have recently launched a hosted subscription service allowing you to access your AccountEdge file from a Catalina environment. You’ll need to pay a monthly fee for this service.
So, the takeaway for Mac users is to be careful with updating your operating systems to Catalina, as you first need to make sure that the operating system is compatible with your Mac or the apps you’re running on it. If you’re running older apps such as AccountEdge, you will need to check their compatibility before upgrading.
If you’re unsure, don’t go ahead with anything, but give us a call here at Mac Aid first. We’ll be able to advise you on whether you are able to update to Catalina safely, or what options you have if an upgrade is not recommended.
