>Alan,
>
>>Me? Clever? Alllllriiiight!!!
>
>Then again, perhaps I'm just easily impressed... <s>
>
>>Ok, while I won't really end up getting an ulcer over this, I do however, reserve the right to be trememdously unimpressed by (and the right to gripe about) the lack of common decency shown by any company who would back their users into such a corner. It almost feels like extortion and makes one wonder what little goodies they might come up with next time.
>
>Yeah, I agree that it rubs me just slightly the wrong way as there won't be any choice, but I've seen it coming for a while now. I do believe that it will prove to be a good thing eventually and provide a better service - perhaps by allowing a "flexible benefits" approach to getting features (or entire modules). I kind of like the idea of only paying for what I'm using. For some though it will depend on the pricing structure and whether the cost is prohibitive. I can see, for example, where buying all the individual components of Office using subscription might cost more than what the entire suite cost as a product. If someone needs all of it then they will see it as unfair.
>
>Renoir

Renoir;

I can see the software market in a few years. You will have to "subscribe" to SAP when you really need "Works", if you get my drift. I feel kinda drifty today.

Whenever there is change people dislike it. That goes for children also. I know we want to see software companies stay in business and make a reasonable profit. At the same time we may dislike or be concerned about what in fact a subscription service will bring us as customers and developers.

You would hope that a software company knew enough about staying in business to create software, resolve major issues and provide customer service. That is the “old model”. Enter the “new model”. The concept of a subscription service to me means the software entity wants to have a continuous stream of income like a W2 employee (what about downsizing, layoffs, job loss?) and can release software regardless of quality. As time goes on the company may elect to resolve known issues or not.

Another model might be a company "owns the market". You have to subscribe to use software and they never release new software. That might be alright as I recall Word 2.0 did everything and more that I require in a word processor. In fact, Word Star 0.92 (I still have it) does very well, and neigher product has the stupid paper clip I hate so much!

It is very possible software and computers as we know them today will not exist in the near future, say ten years from now. Along with that you can place computer developers. A large number of 20 year olds I know decided to go into computer science to get into the .COM craze. I was trying to rationalize with them in 1999 it would not last. It was not there 5 years previous and will not be there five years from now I told them.

Technology changes so quickly and seems to be at a point where PC hardware that is available today far exceeds the needs of the majority (say 95%) of the users. You will see a flattening of the hardware market. I do not believe that salesman that told me I need a 2 Ghz CPU. My reality and the market do not agree with sales types or manufacturers.

In the end we shall see what we shall see.

Tom