>I could be wrong in this, but isn't what MS is talking about just a little different from that type of agreement? As I understood it, while MS has backed off the XP subscription system for North America for this year, the intention, once it's introduced, is that you will get all these neat bells and whistles, but if you do not pay your next year's subscription fee, some of those bells and whistles may stop working. In other words, you pay each year just to be allowed to continue doing what you were doing last year.
>
>Yes, there may (probably will) be upgrades, but even if you don't need or want a particular upgrade, you still have to pay the fee.
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>In most vertical apps of which I'm aware, you don't lose functionality by not paying a maintenance fee. You lose automatic upgrading, and probably support, but you still are allowed to continue on as before.
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>Like I said, it's possible I misunderstood MS's stance, and if so, hopefully someone will correct me.
>
>Alan
>


I'm not sure how the MS subscription works in Australia. However, my guess is that it will change before it's introduced here in the US.