My suggestion is to get with a local partner that can walk you through the package with a screen share. If you're new to Sage 100 then installing a 45 day trial seems like a lot of work.

I do not believe Sage 100 offers Trial License Keys.  You would have to talk with a Sage Sales Representative.  

Indeed... and Sage 100 is not DIY software. A Sage Partner / reseller can help answer your questions and show you a demo of how the software might work for you (depending on your business processes).

If you don't want to do your own search for a Sage 100 Partner / reseller, reach out to Sage and they can help you connect with one.

And one more point - if you already have Sage 100, the Sage 100 cloud is the EXACT SAME SET OF PROGRAMS, but some features will not work if you are not licensed for cloud (subscription).

Beth,

Do you think people are migrating to other packages due to Sage's handling of perpetual users?

My vote is subscriptions are an option and not the only one.

The attraction of Sage 100 is its ability to be customized. A Master Developer program exists for that purpose. Why would someone invest in customized software if it can only be rented?

I hadn't really thought of that - my point is that Sage has done a horrendous job of helping end users understand that cloud is ONLY a licensing option, not a completely separate software package.  I STILL end up beating my head against my desk about once a month over this - either the client thinks they want a true cloud product and are disappointed that cloud is cloud-connected, or they are adamantly AGAINST anything cloud-ish and will not move from perpetual to subscription because of the fear that it means they will lose control of their system.

Like cars, not everyone wants to lease.

Buy or rent, your implementation costs are the same.