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Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

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Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#121

Post by friend_and_foe »

So here's the thing, the entire software development industry is topped around the concept of constant maintenance. Android keeps updating so all android applications must constantly be updated to keep compatibility. It's gone beyond security patches to "business cases keep changing so the software is never done." And when that's the case, it is not economical for a company to charge ou once and keep providing you a service indefinitely.

I refuse to rent anything too. So the only option is FOSS. That means I do a lot of my own maintenance (my password manager database isn't backed up on some server I don't have to think about for example).

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#122

Post by hyperhopper »

amelius wrote: post #63
quaintdev wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This exact behavior drives planned obsolescence. This has led to so much waste over past century that it's going to be very hard to go back. I was baffled that we invented a bulb that could last 100 years over a century ago and I still have to change bulbs every year or two. There are nice documentaries about this [0] The end of ownership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOO-pYUl9-w [1] This is why we can't have nice…

Wait, the subscription economy puts planned obsolescence to an end, because keeping the product in working condition is now the service-provider's problem.

If only.

Companies are more than happy to charge you for a subscription for years then the second they decide to make a new model force you to buy that and pay the new subscription

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#123

Post by fxtentacle »

As a software developer, I experienced the need for subscription revenue first hand. Regular users want support for their software and there's only so much you can do for a fixed one-time payment. As an example, Windows might update on their computer without their knowledge but that Windows update breaks something so the user is like "I didn't change anything but your app stopped working" and in that situation you're supposed to sell them a paid upgrade to the next version?

As a user, I share your concern. To me, SaaS means I might end up with files that I can't open anymore because the app needed to open them was forcibly upgraded.

In my opinion, the solution is what JetBrains does. Regular subscription payments but you get perpetual licenses so you can keep using old versions as long as you want.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#124

Post by karaterobot »

I try to think about subscription costs in multiples of 12, so if I see a $6.99/mo subscription service, I just think "would I pay $84 for this?" and the answer is often no. That's a fairly simple strategy. Obviously, every pricing team wants to lock you into the yearly cost for a long time, so you should really think of it as more like $840.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#125

Post by PetahNZ »

bombolo wrote: post #117
crazygringo wrote: post #40

Not really, because I saw too many software companies go out of business because not enough people wound up upgrading to the next major version -- the ownership model of software can be awfully feast-or-famine for developers' income, it's a very tough/risky business model. Generally speaking, I'm happy to pay a subscription because this way I get a steady stream of all the updates, and it's much more likely the compa…

I use debian and i get a steady stream of updates! And I also don't get microsoft bugging me every day to install windows 11.

I am on Ubuntu and it constantly bugs me to upgrade:

> New release '20.04.5 LTS' available. > Run 'do-release-upgrade' to upgrade to it.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#126

Post by solardev »

thot_experiment wrote: post #107
crazygringo wrote: post #40

Not really, because I saw too many software companies go out of business because not enough people wound up upgrading to the next major version -- the ownership model of software can be awfully feast-or-famine for developers' income, it's a very tough/risky business model. Generally speaking, I'm happy to pay a subscription because this way I get a steady stream of all the updates, and it's much more likely the compa…

What the heck subscription models are you using? In my experience the software gets broken over time and you can't do anything about it, including RUN THE OLD VERSION WHICH WORKED. There's no longer as much incentive for companies to improve because they'll get paid anyway instead of payment being contingent on actually delivering something useful. Yes subscription models are good for developers, no this doesn't make…

Not the OP, but I have to disagree too. Creative Cloud, IntelliJ, Figma, Google Workspace, Postman, Spotify, Vercel, Adguard, Google storage space, Alltrails, 1password.. They're all subscriptions and getting better all the time. Meanwhile it's the old purchased software like Windows and Office that get worse with every version.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#127

Post by droobles »

itake wrote: post #102
ravenstine wrote: post #96

Yes, and the only practical answer is to consider how many of these subscriptions you actually need. For instance, I see no reason why a password manager should be a SaaS. I don't care how long these companies have been around thusfar; in my opinion, using a password manager as-a-service is asking for trouble and is a waste of money. The closer you approach "perfect" security, the more of your personal security you e…

> why a password manager should be a SaaS While I fully agree with you, how do you sync passwords across my 3 laptops and 3 phones without a SaaS offering? While I don't use this feature, but it is common for ppl to share an account. How can I securely share credentials with family members?

I use Firefox's built in password manager and it syncs across all my devices pretty well. The UX is not great because on mobile I have to navigate to Firefox, go to Logins, type in my phone's passcode, then search for and copy the right password, but it's secure and works well enough.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#128

Post by f1refly »

itake wrote: post #102
ravenstine wrote: post #96

Yes, and the only practical answer is to consider how many of these subscriptions you actually need. For instance, I see no reason why a password manager should be a SaaS. I don't care how long these companies have been around thusfar; in my opinion, using a password manager as-a-service is asking for trouble and is a waste of money. The closer you approach "perfect" security, the more of your personal security you e…

> why a password manager should be a SaaS While I fully agree with you, how do you sync passwords across my 3 laptops and 3 phones without a SaaS offering? While I don't use this feature, but it is common for ppl to share an account. How can I securely share credentials with family members?

> how do you sync passwords across my 3 laptops and 3 phones without a SaaS offering?

Syncthing. Set up once, runs reliably forever.

> How can I securely share credentials with family members?

I don't do this either (and don't know anyone who does) but I imagine it'd be easy to just create a different shared database for the family for that? With password store, it's also possible to set multiple different gpg keys for a specific directory. I don't think the last option is doable for most people though.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone tired of everything being a subscription now?

#129

Post by phrom »

A subscription model takes away the user's option to install the software they bought inside of a VM disconnected from the internet, where that software would likely remain runnable to the end of time, regardless of the software company's opinion about it.

Sure, such use might not be allowed by the Terms of Service, even for a one off purchase. But my point is simply that it is possible.

I personally think this makes subscription-based software a worse option than a one off purchase, off the bat. But there's not really a single answer to this. There are good and bad companies, there are good and bad SaaS, and reasonable people will disagree in which is which. If a SaaS looks like the best option for something, and the company looks nice, sure, I'll subscribe.

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