4 ms·

Arguably, the concept that ties major releases with major purchases is old and broken. It discourages companies from making major updates to software between su

Arguably, the concept that ties major releases with major purchases is old and broken. It discourages companies from making major updates to software between such releases, as it will actually make it harder for them to make new revenue off the next major release. So you get point releases that are mostly minor bug fixes, and then a huge release every year or two that the maker hopes will squeeze you into opening your wallet, even if you're mostly happy with the last release. Web apps are clearly going to break this version treadmill. Even if you're downloading a package to the desktop, modeling software more as a service - you pay for the right to use software for a period including all updates, rather than for a perpetual license that in reality will expire and need to be re-purchased as soon as the next major version hits. Pay as you go is better for both users and developers. It means you can charge less up front, spend less on marketing (since the cost of trialing the software drops) and focus on delivering the _best_ experience to all your users rather than denying some features to existing customers in order to create a future revenue event.

Padraig 16y ago
Sounds great but I am never going to pay a subscription for my IDE, or my FTP program or my Twitter client. Relationships require trust and effort from both parties and it's simply not a perfect model for every piece of software. I don't want a relationship with a company. For most apps I want to buy and own a thing as it is now. This "old and broken" model persists because it's something that customers get instantly and can commit to knowing in advance what their full investment will be.
- skybrian 16y ago
  With Android apps (and iPhone I presume), it seems that you pay once and automatically get any available updates. I'd guess that would work reasonably well for small utilities, so long as they continue to get new customers.
  - tomkarlo 16y ago
    That hasn't always held true for some of the major iPhone apps, at least - when there's a major version release, they sometimes require a new purchase. Also, iPhone and Android apps have the potential for ongoing in-app purchases by users. So you buy the GPS app once for a very low price (or free) but you have to keep buying the data updates if you're using it. Or new levels for Angry Birds.
seosamhoc 16y ago
That assumes a series of minor improvements equals a major release, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes something might need a year's work because it is a change to the core of the programme(and old features have to be re-added in a different way for the new core and users are never happy about losing features) but with your system that gets completely disincentivised and minor improvements get prioritised. All the incentives point to bloatware, you create an expectation of constant releases that update or add features so you have to fulfil them, but you never have long enough to change the core and get back to where you started feature wise. That or they cheat and don't meet expectations of what version changes are and instead of point releases that are "mostly minor bug fixes" you get version changes that are so and then they need a new way of marketing that "huge release every year or two". "...the maker hopes will squeeze you into opening your wallet, even if you're mostly happy with the last release." I don't understand, what is the problem with that? They can hope all they want, if you're happy with the last release you don't need to update in the "old fashioned" system, it's yours forever. In the "new" subscription system you could be perfectly happy with the product as it is but you are forced to keep paying for updates just to use it.
- tomkarlo 16y ago
  "Changing the core" isn't generally any more encouraged by either system, if it doesn't result in marketable features. The idea of the "complete overhaul" is something engineers love to dream about, business managers hate to do and end users generally just don't care that much about. That's why they happen so seldom - and usually only if the existing package is a pile of unmaintainable crap. The shrink-wrap model encourages chasing adding more bullet points to the outside of the new box over actually improving the day-to-day user experience. The service model encourages making your actual customers happy with their product AFTER the purchase, so they keep buying. The whole concept of a large, up-front fee is driven by traditional mass-media marketing strategy: spend a bunch of money making something sound really great to buy, sell it for a bunch of money up front so you can get a return on your advertising spend. Don't worry about what happens after that. "I don't understand, what is the problem with that?" The problem with that is if there is some small feature change that would really improve the current product (say supporting an additional new file format on import) there is little reason for the maker to add it to the old release. Instead, they lump it in with the new version and hope it forces you to buy a whole new license. So a feature that might only add a small marginal cost but would make current users happy for longer doesn't get released to them.

Padraig 16y ago

Sounds great but I am never going to pay a subscription for my IDE, or my FTP program or my Twitter client. Relationships require trust and effort from both parties and it's simply not a perfect model for every piece of software. I don't want a relationship with a company. For most apps I want to buy and own a thing as it is now. This "old and broken" model persists because it's something that customers get instantly and can commit to knowing in advance what their full investment will be.

skybrian 16y ago
With Android apps (and iPhone I presume), it seems that you pay once and automatically get any available updates. I'd guess that would work reasonably well for small utilities, so long as they continue to get new customers.
- tomkarlo 16y ago
  That hasn't always held true for some of the major iPhone apps, at least - when there's a major version release, they sometimes require a new purchase. Also, iPhone and Android apps have the potential for ongoing in-app purchases by users. So you buy the GPS app once for a very low price (or free) but you have to keep buying the data updates if you're using it. Or new levels for Angry Birds.

seosamhoc 16y ago

That assumes a series of minor improvements equals a major release, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes something might need a year's work because it is a change to the core of the programme(and old features have to be re-added in a different way for the new core and users are never happy about losing features) but with your system that gets completely disincentivised and minor improvements get prioritised. All the incentives point to bloatware, you create an expectation of constant releases that update or add features so you have to fulfil them, but you never have long enough to change the core and get back to where you started feature wise. That or they cheat and don't meet expectations of what version changes are and instead of point releases that are "mostly minor bug fixes" you get version changes that are so and then they need a new way of marketing that "huge release every year or two". "...the maker hopes will squeeze you into opening your wallet, even if you're mostly happy with the last release." I don't understand, what is the problem with that? They can hope all they want, if you're happy with the last release you don't need to update in the "old fashioned" system, it's yours forever. In the "new" subscription system you could be perfectly happy with the product as it is but you are forced to keep paying for updates just to use it.

tomkarlo 16y ago
"Changing the core" isn't generally any more encouraged by either system, if it doesn't result in marketable features. The idea of the "complete overhaul" is something engineers love to dream about, business managers hate to do and end users generally just don't care that much about. That's why they happen so seldom - and usually only if the existing package is a pile of unmaintainable crap. The shrink-wrap model encourages chasing adding more bullet points to the outside of the new box over actually improving the day-to-day user experience. The service model encourages making your actual customers happy with their product AFTER the purchase, so they keep buying. The whole concept of a large, up-front fee is driven by traditional mass-media marketing strategy: spend a bunch of money making something sound really great to buy, sell it for a bunch of money up front so you can get a return on your advertising spend. Don't worry about what happens after that. "I don't understand, what is the problem with that?" The problem with that is if there is some small feature change that would really improve the current product (say supporting an additional new file format on import) there is little reason for the maker to add it to the old release. Instead, they lump it in with the new version and hope it forces you to buy a whole new license. So a feature that might only add a small marginal cost but would make current users happy for longer doesn't get released to them.