rbosco60
Now we have the ridiculous membership program.

Switching to Avid/ProTools won't get you away from the "membership program".
ProTools is moving to "subscription" based upgrades as well...
 
The way Cakewalk has implemented the subscription based method, it's not radically different from the past.
You can choose to pay the full upgrade cost up-front (same as it ever was - same as most software upgrades)... or you can make monthly installments (similar to Adobe's Creative Cloud).
Better than Creative Cloud, once you've paid for a year's cost, you own the license for that version (even if you decide to terminate the subscription).  
If you pay monthly, you can work with Sonar for several months... and if you decide it's not for you... you're only out the cost of those months (not the full cost of the application).
 
A software company needs a stream of revenue to stay in business.
A yearly upgrade is a way to give users new features (and fixes)... while keeping revenue flowing.
When compared to the cost of other studio gear, software upgrades are very inexpensive.

A  couple of years ago, I was a 46 year old video gamer, no thanks to my son. Then I found DAW recording. This model being used is a lot like what EA and EA sports has been using, Also, Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer. They would have DLC to update and fix bugs either once a month or quarter. Avid and other plugin companies a even renting out plug in's! lol While there are some things I don't care for, acceptance is moving forward. This mode of doing business is here to stay and not going anywhere. 

Anderton
Cakewalk also believes this will be better for customers because of customers not having to wait for features, the potential for a more stable product, and the inclusion of content. 
 
For me the biggest issue with Pro Tools isn't the bugs or the lack of tools I've come to depend on in SONAR, but I get lower track counts at equal latency settings.

As I put in a post before - I hope Cake don't feel pressure to have anything major in new features done before another release. I think just putting whatever is fixed of bugs out there every two weeks or something would be a good thing.
 
Just go through the bugs todo list - and whatever is done is done - out it goes.
 
Naming releases and stuff give me the feel they also will have new features every new release.
I don't know if this is possible, just personally would like that.
 
New features are more like - good to have.
Bugs not fixed are more like - from really annoying to showstoppers.
 
I will probably test ProTools First out of curiousity - if it's 64-bit. Only daw I didn't test. Maybe there are performance issues.
 
EDIT: Was inspired by another thread - why not call all just bugfix releases BrainDead 1, BrainDead 2 etc.
In between the BrainTree 2, BrainTree 3 etc.

I'm not wanting to even make a comment on the OP's position (as I don't agree, but to each his own)...but......My vote..........in the Battle of the Bands Contest (for Bands knocking off Spencer Davis's "I'm a Man") goes to..........CHICAGO!  They rocked that one back in the day. 

Regardless pro tools is a great product.
So is Sonar.

Go with what you like. It still goes without saying what is best value for money, weirdly in this instance value for money doesn't reduce the end user to a second class citizen by miles. The only major fault with Sonar IMHO is perception. Marketeers take note.

Actually Gibson please take note. A big campaign would be most useful.

Splat
The only major fault with Sonar IMHO is perception. Marketeers take note.

I often see, and in important places like Sweetwater, something to the effect that some product "works great with all major DAW's" which then goes on to list PT, Logic, Studio One, etc., etc., but no Sonar.
 
Sonar is the only daw I know so I have no idea how it compares to the others, but it seems that Sonar is off lots of people's radar.

Paul P

Splat
The only major fault with Sonar IMHO is perception. Marketeers take note.

I often see, and in important places like Sweetwater, something to the effect that some product "works great with all major DAW's" which then goes on to list PT, Logic, Studio One, etc., etc., but no Sonar.
 
Sonar is the only daw I know so I have no idea how it compares to the others, but it seems that Sonar is off lots of people's radar.

Trust me, I think we've all noticed Sonar absent from lists like that. I have no idea why Sonar seems to be the black sheep/ugly duckling of the DAW family. I still see people arguing about it being the most unstable DAW on the market, citing problems that it had before the X series. It just goes to show that it's very hard to recuperate a company or product's image in the minds of people who may have had a bad experience at one time in the past. I really do hope that the overall opinion of Sonar goes up in the general music production sphere. It doesn't deserve all the hate it gets from people who don't use it and don't realize how great it really is. 

In another conversation I had this evening, I realised I've been using Pro Tools on and off since 1997, 18 years in all. Which I think is enough time served for me to say with some authority that it doesn't offer particularly green grass.

It's not crap. Of course it's not crap. It's a very powerful and impressive piece of software (not so much the hardware component). But anyone who thinks it's the be-all and end-all just hasn't been around the block very many times. It's not crap, but it's not special either.
 
Increasingly not special now that whole thing of "DSP boxes for what your computer can't do" thing is basically dead and buried.
 
I have mixed in ProTools, and will again. And any faults in the mix will be down to me, not to ProTools. But I never mix in it by choice.

As for the whole thing about business models, I'll say this: DAW-world is very competitive. And I think the only DAW with a conspicuously customer strip-mining business model is Pro Tools. All the other DAW-makers are bending over backwards to give you as much as possible for your money. Avid aren't, and I think they'll live just long enough to regret that.