1. That might have been a good thing back when updates weren't dreaded, because they would rarely if ever add distracting UI elements or take away useful featur

1. That might have been a good thing back when updates weren't dreaded, because they would rarely if ever add distracting UI elements or take away useful features. 2. If you're a small-scale Office user who's happy not to have the latest and the greatest, and you're happy to update your copy of Office every 5-7 years, then a yearly subscription will not be a good trade-off.