Visual Studio and Windows aren't software as a service, and I suppose the argument in traditional client apps is that "the advanced features cost a lot more mon

Visual Studio and Windows aren't software as a service, and I suppose the argument in traditional client apps is that "the advanced features cost a lot more money to develop, so we need to recoup that cost". Neither case is as egregious as starting everything at a high-level baseline and then intentionally decreasing/damaging some parts to make them into "lower-end" models. Software is usually developed the opposite way -- you start at the baseline, get something together, and then say, "Oh, what about feature X? That'll take a while to develop..." and some guy says "Well, we can make it a premium feature". It just doesn't have the same feel as nvidia's hardware hack.