Hi. I notice on your website that Solar Accounts Online is the default download version of your product. (The offline version being available a click away.) Are you planning to continue supporting Solar Accounts as an offline product?
As a sole operator it was an offline accounts package that I was looking for in the first place and that requirement hasn

Hi Simon,

You can currently purchase the offline version of Solar Accounts and we plan to ensure it works on the latest versions of Windows and Mac OS X until at least May 2017.

However, we do not plan to add any new features to the offline version. If you want new features in future you would need to switch to the online version. (You would also need to switch if you buy a new computer or upgrade your operating system after May 2017).

Regards,

So correct me if I'm wrong, the future of solar accounts is effectively online only? And that as a longstanding "offline" user I'm at some point going to have to switch to an online version? Which I also presume will incur the introduction of subscription charges?

Hi Simon,

Yes, in the long term the future of Solar Accounts is as an online-only product. And yes if you switch to the online version you will need to pay the monthly subscription fee. However, your current offline licence does not have any time restriction. This means that if you do not upgrade your operating system after May 2017 then you can keep using the offline version for many years - or even decades.

Regards,

Mark,
I have been a Solar user from early days. I do the bookkeeping for a number of very small traders & community organisations. Except for one client, the rest are not big enough to afford a monthly fee by going online.
You say that the offline version will not be available when one upgrades ones computer system. With the rapid changes in systems one will eventually be forced to upgrade. Therefore the comment about using the offline version of Solar for years & even decades I believe doesn't hold water.
Prior to using Solar I was a MYOB user & I wouldn't have changed from it had they not left us in the s##t by moving out of the UK. I'm sorry to say that Solar is doing the same thing.

Hi Jack,

My understanding is that MYOB software required an annual licence payment, and their software stopped working when MYOB stopped issuing annual licences. This clearly upset a lot of their customers - for example: http://www.alphr.com/news/enterprise/368017/myob-software-deactivated-at-end-of-year

Solar Accounts is different because it will continue to work as long as your computer meets the system requirements. I don't think it's fair to say you are forced to upgrade your operating system. Out of the thousands of people who currently use the offline version of Solar Accounts I'm sure that some will still be running it in 15 years.

Regards,

Mark,
I do appreciate that you have the gumption to reply to my criticism. A lot of other company executives wouldn't have.
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I think that we can agree to differ on the upgrade question. In the meantime, I'll continue to use your excellent offline programme & as I am of a certain age ("a silver surfer"?) I may not be around when offline Solar Accounts become defunct!

Cheers
Jack

Hi Mark

I have downloaded a copy of SA Online and so far as I can tell it is essentially the same as the offline version aside from a multiple user capability. However I have no need for multiple users but I will have to add an annual business overhead of

Hi Simon,

We cannot make promises about future development so I'm afraid I am unable to say what features we plan add to Solar Account Online. Our aim is not to be the cheapest online accounting software but rather the one which is easiest to use and allows you to extract the information you need in the shortest time. If you are looking for the cheapest option then I recommend you simply continue with the your current version of Solar Accounts and operating system - there will be no need for you to switch to anything else for a long time.

Regards,