I want to thank Cakewalk for embracing the subscription model. Sales driven models have proven themselves to be incapable of providing long-term support. (See ERP software models with multi-million dollar sales figures that have gone out of business). I have been a Cakewalk user since the days of "Home Studio" and "XL" (if my memory serves...questionable at best) back during the days when it looked like the soundcard on our 386sx PC's were octopi giving birth (the original digital patchbay). I have dutifully given my upgrade dollars through years since this was "working" for me.
In the past couple of years, I've done projects with hardcore ProToolers. I did have a Mac based ProTooly thingy sitting in my studio. I wanted to learn the ins-and-outs of the ProToolish world, but this shovel-ready project never gained any ground. I looked at getting ProTool'ed certified, but the price of "basic" ProTooling was 10 years of Sonar upgrades plus an additional "buying of a Prius" for all Avid developers. I quickly realized that playing my guitar was a better investment and I could afford about 22 years of lessons for the "used" sales price of my Pro-Tools rig. Needless to say it is gone.
Massive kudos to Cakewalk for committing to a subscription based model. I'm planning on paying the monthly fees, simply because it is more than the up-front fee. If Cakewalk would start a Patreon account, I would probably give some extra sheckles to that as well. I've used about every DAW out there and I always keep launching Sonar because it is more intuitive to me. Yes, that is my opinion and it is also my opinion that they deserve more of our hard earned cash. If software is free, there is a reason.
I don't know why, but I have read every page of this thread and I am truly amazed that some of these posters can't see that arguing about the tool they use is pointless. This is about their talent and their ability to add value to a project. Sonar has only let me down in one case...importing Stems from other projects. I hope that gets fixed, but I use Reaper when I can't get Sonar to behave. I wish that wasn't the case, but my Subscription will show that I have trust in this company and will continue to support them until such a time as they violate that trust. $20 a month is nothing compared to the benefit I gain from their design effort.
For those who have "automatically" hated this change simply because it is "change", take a step back and look at what you have accomplished being a Sonar user. If you can truly say that this has been a benefit then get on the horse and let them develop in a "revenue-centric" manner. We need their developers and the good developers need to stay at Cakewalk for the long-term. Don't nickel-and-dime them into "off-shoring" their development and support efforts. In a way, we are all in this together. I, for one, am happy to support this change and will hold their feet to the fire if they "fark-it-up", but let's give them the chance to decide their own fate.
Everyone in this community should be freaking ecstatic that they didn't go to the software rental model. (*Those that think that need to re-read this entire thread*) Moderators, support personnel and developers...y'all go make good things happen because some of us appreciate your efforts and are standing with you. I'm out...