It's interesting that we have already had this exact same transition with pure software: It is increasingly difficult to just buy an indefinite license to use a

It's interesting that we have already had this exact same transition with pure software: It is increasingly difficult to just buy an indefinite license to use a program that is dowloaded or shipped to you on physical media, to be run on your device. Instead, companies find increasingly flimsy reasons to ship "Software as a Service," which in many cases exists solely to generate Annual Recurring Revenue, or "ARR." I'd like to make a joke about ARR Growth Hacking, or "ARRGH," but I'm too depressed to take pleasure in it. Sure, there are convenience factors involved in apps you can just use from a web browser. Sure, many apps require a centralized aspect to be valuable, like social media. And sure, maintaining compatibility requires ongoing overhead, and companies need a revenue model that is aligned with their expense model, or they will close their doors. But the end result is still a world where the ability to just buy a thing--whether physical or not--is rapidly shrinking.