Most people do not own their computer. There are many layers of contracts and "terms of service" that have put many organizations ahead of the "person who owns the computer" as the one who controls what the computer can do.
Fortunately, many people have shifted to Linux, and then they only have to concern themselves about certain apps that they allow to take over, but at a time and place of their choosing. But, we are a long way from having an ecosystem where the "owner" of the computer is actually in charge of their computer that they own.
It looks like Microsloth is one button press away from you having to beg your master Microsloth to use your computer.
The subscription service is very nice for the company selling computer programs.
It means they do not actually have to have a product.
(a product being something that is well tested and shippable that a person can use alone without any further transactions with the company)
- So now, they can push something that will be tested by the renters.
- It does not have to work in a stand alone environment.
- That part of the customer's hard drive is now your domain. You can update things as you wish.
- You have continuous communication about when the client is using your software (and with the communication already happening, you can include all kinds of other information along with it, like what other apps are running. Key click rate. Length of time between apps, browser history, and with winders, they can catelog your whole drive and report on that)
- You get a recurring monetary stream. No need for advertising how much better then next version is.
- You do not need to keep bug fixes and patching old versions.
It is a great win for software companies.
(Software companies who like to take advantage of their clients and lower the quality of what they deliver)
Microsloth taking their Winders OS as a subscription service is only a question of how much backlash they will get when they do it. How can the sneakily upgrade their entire user base into the pay monthly format?
I admit i ran Win XP forever because i never wanted to upgrade to the horrors that Microsloth was putting out. Now things are even worse, and looking like they will get worser. (I suggest everyone move to Linux)
Microsloth already has many people trained to just think of the cloud as their storage area. So, Microsloth has access to all kinds of information they can do anything they want with. And the users do not realize how precarious their position is. For all this convenience, they have given up almost all of their control. They truly own nothing. And at a flick of a switch, Microsloth can prove that.
The current computing devices ecosystem is one where you do not own your device. Even if you paid for it, a dozen companies have dibs on your SmartPhone, tablet…
Unless you go out of your way, do everything the hard way, you do not own your computer.
You already rent it.
You own nothing, and you are blissfully unaware.
Fortunately, alternatives are coming to market. People have been bit one too many times when finding out the hard way that they own nothing.