Linus has weighed in on software subscription, something pushed
to the fore of late by Microsoft’s “software assurance program,”
which pushes purchasers away from owning the shrinkwrap they buy
and more toward renting it. “Everyone wants to go into this ‘Let’s
not sell software. Let’s license it,’ but that’s horrible,”
Torvalds said. “It is the most stupid thing because nobody wants
it.” The article comes with a video clip.
These strategies are doomed to failure for a number of
reasons, Torvalds said. Companies want to charge too much, and
consumers don’t need to upgrade their software as fast as they used
to. Besides, human nature also abhors a rental.“There’s one and only one reason (subscriptions) is the perfect
kind of business to be in,” he said. “It is an infinite revenue
stream.” “I don’t think (subscriptions) will go away, but they will
be much more rare, and you can’t gouge people.”