Instead of just paying your money and using your software, Microsoft decided that you also had no option but to register your software with them -- or it would only work 50 times before your temporary license expired.

Many of us weren't too concerned -- after all the registration process was fairly painless and we weren't software pirates were we?

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Others however, felt that if you've paid the asking price for something then why should you then be forced to register it -- it's yours isn't it?

Well no -- you've only purchased a license to use the code, and such use is controlled by the terms of the software license. If the license says that you must register the software then you have no choice -- after all, nobody is forcing you to buy Microsoft products -- right?

Now we all know that Microsoft's products are generally fair value for money, after all -- if they weren't then they wouldn't have enjoyed such success right?

However, we also know that in order to patch the bugs and offer new features, Microsoft has engaged in a very agressive program of improvements and upgrades which earns them a pretty healthy amount of money. Some people bitch about the fact that some bugs aren't fixed and that Microsoft's answer when complaints are received is "you need to upgrade to the next version" -- which seems just a little unfair perhaps.

Readers Say (updated hourly) upgrading software also means hardware... - Baz Microsoft licensing... - Martnz Have Your Say

But now Microsoft is trying to convince us all that we'd be better off renting its software rather than buying it.

Yes, they'd like to see us paying an annual subscription that would ensure we always had the latest version and (of course) Microsoft had a very strong and budgetable revenue stream.

Perhaps this is a good idea in some cases -- after all, many Microsoft users are already doing just this by upgrading every 12-18 months when a new version is released. The subscription service is simply formalising this defacto subscription system and calling a spade a spade isn't it?

My only concern is -- once Microsoft has transitioned a good percentage of its user-base onto a formal subscription scheme -- what reason would they have to keep improving the product?

At present people will only hand over more money to Microsoft if/when the software giant has something new and better to offer. If people are going to be paying an annual fee just for the right to use the same old code then there's little to stop Microsoft from taking a bit of a breather -- sitting back with its feet up and counting the money that keeps rolling in.

What do you think? Software by subscription -- good or bad?

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