If you’re like me, you hate paying for software every month. I recall the days of yore when you could buy a CD-ROM with Microsoft Bob and use it forever. Or when you could download Photoshop for free from some obviously legit site with a URL like cv-3x7k.com, and never worry about updates. Those were simpler times.
But now, everything is subscription-based. You must pay a monthly fee to use your favorite apps and services. And if you stop paying, they simply hold your precious files hostage and send endless emails with increasing discounts until you cave in and start paying again. It’s a simple concept that benefits everyone, especially the software company.
navigate the UI of MS Bob
Well, that’s not fair. As much as I hate to admit it, there are some good reasons why the subscription model for software a good thing is. And no, I’m not being paid by any software company to say this. (I am open to offers, however.)
First, the subscription model allows software developers to keep doing what they do best, add arcane features the salespeople swear are critical and everybody is dying for. They might even get around to fixing that one bug everyone has been complaining about since the initial release five versions ago. Not to mention addressing those obscure security issues that nefarious individuals keep finding and exploiting, like allowing ‘qwerty’ as a valid password.
Another benefit becomes obvious when we think again of the old days. We used to save for months, or take out a second mortgage, to pay for that big box with three floppy discs inside that we were so desperate for. Then, we immediately added a line to our monthly budget to start saving for the update that was to come 18 months later. Now we simply glance at that measly amount on our monthly credit card statement and shrug it off. Never mind that I haven’t used it since last December.
“It’s a trade-off between convenience and ownership, between innovation and tradition, between a jet and a yacht for the company CEO.”
So, as much as it pains me to say this, the subscription model for software is not all bad. It’s a trade-off between convenience and ownership, between innovation and tradition, between a jet and a yacht for the company CEO. It’s unavoidable that we must live with subscriptions to keep poking these screens we love so much.
Of course, we reserve the right to whine and reminisce about a time when the spinning of a disc drive was music to our ears. But the subscription model is here to stay. Now, please excuse me as the service rep just picked up my call which has been on hold for hours to cancel Amazon Prime.
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