Out with the Old (QB for Mac that is)

March 1, 2017

5:46 PM

Seems like I remember words something to the affect of, "No man left behind." Well, apparently, that doesn't apply to Mac users of QuickBooks.

So, as they say, "The party is over."

QB for Mac

In an announcement by Rich Preece, VP of the Accountant Segment of Intuit's Small Business Group, the company has begun issuing notices that it will not be releasing any new versions of QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

While QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2016 will be the last version available, the product will continue to be supported by Intuit until May 31, 2019.

Intuit also advises that this notification has no affect in regard to the the 2018 Windows versions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier.

While QuickBooks ProAdvisors, Intuit Re-sellers and accountant partners are being advised of these developments, QuickBooks Desktop for Mac small business customers will receive a separate notification of this news in the coming weeks.

Of course Intuit is encouraging users of the QB for Mac product to migrate to QuickBooks Online.

While many former QB for Mac users were quick to migrate to the cloud once Intuit offered the Mac App for QuickBooks (online), time will only tell how Mac loyalists respond to this news.

If you are a QuickBooks for Mac user, or a ProAdvisor, bookkeeper or accountant who supports QB-Mac, let's hear from you. Post your comments below.

Comments (12)

Comment Feed

QB For Mac

Just learned this news, a little late to the party,

I will switch to PC before using QB online, I refuse to use a cloud based software that forces me to reload a browser tab every time I enter a transaction. In addition, the inability to use multiple windows simultaneously is also a non-starter. The interface gives much less 'freedom' in terms of customization and manipulation of imported accounts.

QB Online has a very long way to go before I would ever consider using it,

Eric Daniel Tilden more than 5 years ago

Aggravating

I have used QB for mac since 2011. My entire medical office utilizes mac's. It is extremely frustrating that intuit is doing this, although I am not surprised. They have shown time and time again that the bottom line is their biggest concern. Need help? They charge for that and not only is it not inexpensive, the help has poor english, reads a script, rarely fixes the problem and the only real solution is to pay extra for an upgrade for basically the same software. Thank god for the online forum. I did a free trial of online when it first came out, thought it might be nice to do some work from home at times, uploaded all my info, started using it and found out fast it was horrible. Completely different set up and not nearly as many features and of course the ones it didn't have are ones that I use. I am pretty sure that when the software creeps up on 3 years old, that the "updates" purposely put glitches into the software so we are forced to upgrade, they got me 2 times, but not this last time. I stopped letting the system do automatic updates and I never do them manually and I have't had any problems with my 2015 version. I will use it until I can't anymore and will then switch to a different accounting software... and it won't be online. Shame on you Intuit.

Dr. Roxy Barber more than 5 years ago

What it really is about and it's a shame that no one acknowledges it

this is a citation form one of the Quickbooks users: I have used QBs products for 23 years on Mac, PC, and online. I am not just someone on an anger rant.

I am so fed up with Intuit's lies, dismantling products, deceitful advertising and saying they love feedback. For intuit, feedback is just a measure of how well their deceitful spin is working. Case in point, this lie that most Mac users were moving to the online version because of the "improved functionality". That's a lie on both counts, the people that have moved to the online version have been given such pressure to move to it, making it hard to even find other products when you go to the website. As much destruction as intuit has done to the desktop versions, it's still far superior to the online version.

Why did intuit stop giving customer support? Again, there is the spin that there is, but the reality is that the only thing to find in the program is to come to this community. As good as it is to have this, it is not customer support from those who created the programs. If you are willing to pay exorbitant annual fees for support that was part of the purchase price of the program, you get "help" that always ends with "you need to upgrade to the newer version", which has never been an upgrade, it has always been buying the program all over again.

It's time someone overthrew the intuit juggernaut and came out with a desktop program, that's not a subscription, and doesn't get pulled apart year to year, and have intentional bugs put in it to facilitate selling the following year's version.

Delbert Whitehorse more than 6 years ago

Mac USer

I've used quickbooks pro for Mac for over 20 years. We would never use the online version for security reasons. It's a shame as mac sales increase, Intuit wants to go online. We had not choice but to use Adobe CS online, but finances, not a chance.

Randy Doller more than 6 years ago

Link to Press Release

As someone who works in IT this is incredibly useful knowledge to have. However when ever a large change like this is happening my company prefers to show something from the software vendor themselves rather than a third party site. As such I was wondering if anyone had a link to the press release from Intuit directly.

Louis Sorace more than 7 years ago

It wasn't a Press Release

It was an 'announcement' sent to QuickBooks ProAdvisors and Intuit Re-sellers in advance of notices going out to QB-Mac users. This is a common practice of Intuit to spread the word to those of us supporting their products so we can begin to 'break the news' (I don't know if gently applies) to our clients.

So we had no 'link' to a formal press announcement to provide, and still don't have one.

insightfulaccountant.com more than 7 years ago

Murph - that IS funny!

"No man/child/person left behind"
Progress takes many forms, it seems. QB for Mac has quite a few challenges. This decision by Intuit will require some short term pain for clients and ProAdvisors.
BTW - all the comments I see on here are well-worded and it confirms for me the reason I charge so much for ANY QB work.

Bill Rogers more than 7 years ago

No more QB for Mac

When Intuit revamped QBO and started the big push to move all users to that platform, I read many predictions that the desktop product would be eliminated, although others said that "desktop wasn't going anywhere." The death knell for QB Mac seems to be the first step in that direction. I understand Intuit's point of view: QB Online is guaranteed monthly revenue, which owners of the desktop software can use it for years at a time.
However, QBO still doesn't have all the functionality of the desktop product. It lacks progress invoicing, price levels, setting default accounts for vendors and several other features that I use constantly. I really wish that Intuit would stop messing with the APPEARANCE of QBO and start adding the functionality.
That's my two cents.

Patti Killelea-Almonte more than 7 years ago

Hasta La Vista QB for MAC

Should have been done years ago. I have three clients on QB for Mac. Has been the most agonizing experience for at least 6 years running. My list of complaints is very long and I am a regular Mac user for other software. But Macs aren't made for this type of work. I have been trying to convince my clients to make the switch to QBO or Windows desktop, maybe now this will be the impetus needed. I am not a big fan of QBO because it is still so very clunky compared to Desktop QB but it is much better than QB for Mac. Adios QB for Mac...

Kelley Sedoryk more than 7 years ago

Bingo!

My sentiments exactly! It is painful for me to use QB for Mac, so incredibly frustrating. I have been steering my Mac user clients to QBO for a while now. Fortunately, for what they do, QBO works fine for them. But that QB Online payroll is aggravating!!

Jan Reid more than 7 years ago

QB for Mac

I've been a Mac user since 1984 and used QuickBooks for Mac for many years, but when QBO came along I jumped onboard and have not looked back. QB for Mac always felt like the neglected child in a large family. Now I feel like the favorite child. In addition, I was able to launch my bookkeeping business a couple of years ago and grow it to a full practice using QBO exclusively and keep working on my Mac. No more going to the dark side.

Alexa Gregory more than 7 years ago

Mac

At SNH 2013, I asked if there would ever be certification for QB for Mac and was flatly told No. So this isn't a surprise. I have only two clients left on it right now - I've moved them all to QBO. I have one who will go kicking and screaming, though.

Susan Pruskin more than 7 years ago