Microsoft copies Cakewalk Sonar

MS is already so "heavy" as far as software goes ... I can't imagine it needing to authenticate all the time also lol.
 
That sucks though.
 
 

yikes, is this really the Windows OS future ?
They will get their money, to pay for all that research + development
They are driving the bus, and we will be the passengers.
Maybe it will open the doors for some real OS competition ?

Cakewalk Sonar working in another OS ? Is this your dream, or a possible reality ?
Wine . . . only heard of it, don't know the details . . . isn't it a MAC thing only ?

noynekker
 
isn't it a MAC thing only ?

It's a LinSux Linux thing, I messed around with many different Linux Distro's over the years, and well . . .  it was 'novel', but Linux certainly isn't where it's at on a lot of levels, and I don't think it ever will be. I wonder if next year is still going to be the 'Year of Linux' . . .  lol
It's ok, and like I said a novel little toy, but mainstream, ain't gonna happen, for starters lack of support is it's main killer, and I don't think that will change much over all, maybe if it didn't have so many variations all doing things a little differently, but that's just my view

SimpleManZ

Tom Riggs
According to MS the upgrade is free to all existing windows 7 and 8 licenses.... IF you do the upgrade during the first year. It will also continue to get OS updates free for its lifetime.
 
If you do not upgrade during that time you might be in on the subscription model.
 
Not to worry I'm sure the hackers will find a way to hack the subscription model just as they have for every other version of windows.

There must be a catch. I suppose it will require a transfer fee when one needs to do a hardware upgrade or PC replacement.

".......... free for its lifetime......."
That's the key to the catch!
Win10 will be the perfect transition version, and enable a little padding later.
 
First, everyone on 7/8 gets a free upgrade to 10 for a year. .. apply a little polish, and even a turd gleams in the sun.
Year 2 or so, do a a pre-sale into Windows Platinum ;) ... and after a short buffer period, kill off 7/8, forcing all the fish to start swimming toward the net.
Full release of the monthly subscription, and after another year or so kill off 10 ....  tightening the silk-noose.
 
 

Amazingly enough, I could not care less about Linux as a consumer and probably never will. It's used to serve up websites - great. I wish it all the best. But there is not one single reason for me to switch as a PC user. Windows is plenty good enough for everything I want to do, I don't have any problems with it and never have, and all of the best software runs on it. I've been hearing Linux diehards say that Windows will be a thing of the past for as long as I can remember. But it will remain a niche product for home users. Kind of reminds me of how people were saying that Facebook would be overtaken by Google+, of course it never will because Facebook is fine as a social communication tool for the vast majority of people and they have no good reason to invest their time in a switch. 
 
I can, however, see people gradually coming around to subscription based software in time. I'm already happy with the idea. I cannot see open source software making any kind of meaningful dent in a market dominated by products like Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office. This is mainly because open source software is developed by people with no financial obligation to keep developing - it's a hobby undertaken by people who have other jobs, and their only reward for developing it is recognition within their own circle. They just cannot seriously compete with software that's backed by a full time development team and a healthy stream of cash. Open source development is great and has a very important contribution to make, but it's not going to replace commercial software and it's certainly not going to attract Joe Public to Linux. 

joden
"At its press event today, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users during its first year of availability. There was some confusion, however, when Microsoft's Terry Myerson started talking about Windows 10 "as a service." Did that mean that after that first year of free availability, Windows 10 would cost an annual fee? I asked Myerson for clarification after the presentation, and he confirmed that there will be no additional fees attached to Windows 10, whenever you buy it."
webpage : http://www.pcgamer.com/mi...old-as-a-subscription/

Additional fees? Additional? Annual? How's about monthly.. Lifetime? Who's lifetime?

sharke
Amazingly enough, I could not care less about Linux as a consumer and probably never will.

Hehe... That means you do not have a TV (most of them produced within last 10 years are Linux based) and you use exclusively Windows Phones (since Android is Linux, and iPhone is BSD, just a little bit different).
 

 Kind of reminds me of how people were saying that Facebook would be overtaken by Google+, of course it never will because Facebook is fine as a social communication tool for the vast majority of people and they have no good reason to invest their time in a switch.

This Facebook thing always confuse me... From many 100s people I know, only several use it really. While they (and all media) claim "everyone is there".
 

I cannot see open source software making any kind of meaningful dent in a market dominated by products like Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office.

I do not use MS Office since long time and I am happy. If I need something simple, there is OO. If you want write something serious, MSO can not handle it in any case.
 

This is mainly because open source software is developed by people with no financial obligation to keep developing - it's a hobby undertaken by people who have other jobs, and their only reward for developing it is recognition within their own circle. They just cannot seriously compete with software that's backed by a full time development team and a healthy stream of cash. Open source development is great and has a very important contribution to make, but it's not going to replace commercial software and it's certainly not going to attract Joe Public to Linux.

You misunderstand Open Source concept. And you can easily find which money was invested into Linux... you will wish 1/1000 of that is invested into Sonar
 
Without Open Source there is no Android and no OS X. And your Windows will still have no networking (network stack in Windows, as well as in all other OSes, is taken from BSD).

To add to the Linux discussion here...
 
At this moment Linux is very capable of running DAW's. It has it's own low-latency drivers (Jack), and there are several distributions that even give you an special low-latency kernel.
 
There are also commercial DAW's available for Linux. The most well known at this moment is Bitwig. I tried the demo on an standard Kubuntu distribution (14.04 LTS), and it runs great and fast. An lot of sound-cards are supported (I used an M-Audio Delta Audiophile 192k in the test), and an lot of plug-ins just work without any problem using wine (there is an special version in development called "Airwave" that is an real fast VST bridge for Linux - it works for the majority of VST plugins). So yes- it is perfectly possible to use Linux as DAW platform.
 
On the idea of Windows subscription. I really don't know how this will turn out, but I have no real positive feelings about that. Let me explain...
 
When "renting" software (like Adobe), the programs stops working if you stop paying the monthly/yearly subscription. That is not great, but you can use an alternative to get at least some work done. The same goes for Office (you can use the free LibreOffice.. yes it has it's limitations, but you can get work done with it).
 
With Windows, however, you are in an whole different region. Windows is no program, but the platform where all your data and programs reside. If Windows stops working because you did not payed the monthly/yearly fee, you lose the ability to access your data and run you (expensive) programs. Most users would not know about alternative operating systems, so in effect Windows would turn into an form of "ransomware" (if you do not pay, you loose everything).
 
I do not think Microsoft would turn Windows into an real subscription platform (the backlash would be huge), bit IF they do, they have an very powerful way to force people into payment. As said - I don not really think Microsoft would do something like that, but at the other hand... I have seen Microsoft do worst things..
 
It will be interesting to see how this all turns out to be...

BTW... a lot of people want Sonar for Mac but because the competition in the Mac market for DAWs is so high they would be taking a small bite out of a large pie.
 
If they release a solid Linux version their only serious competition would be Bitwig...
 
oh and Reaper but their package isn't nearly as robust.
 

I'm with Jeff on this Linux issue. I too have through the years dabbled with Linux. Its fun and interesting but as far as it being a really useful OS it just isn't there and I don't see it getting there. Support for hardware is a moving target. Just about everybody has support for Windows, Few have drivers for Linux. 

"Windows from the beginning was something "fancy" between kitchen and TV, winning because it was working on cheap computers. They have worked hard to make it "serious", and they have quite big success with that. I must admit starting with Windows 7 it is an OS. But not in all respects..."
 
Serious question: why isn't Linux more popular?
 
I'll give you a hint: it's not very user-friendly. Most people need simple things. Not because they are stupid or incapable of learning. It's because they are busy with their lives and just want tools that are easy to operate. Linux fails in that respect and that's why Windows is a better, more popular OS (at least to most people).
 
Most of us don't want or need to know how the car engine operates. Most of us don't want to drive stick-shift. We want a car that only needs steering and braking, accelerating. That's why fully automatic cars are overwhelmingly more popular than stick-shift, regardless of which one is technically better. 
 
That's where the "open source" movement has always failed: they wrongly assume people need or want expertise beyond the basic use. And that is not the case 99% of the time. So, they only get the 1% user base that connects with their thinking.

irvin
Serious question: why isn't Linux more popular?

Why Komplete Kontrol is not going to be more popular than Logitech Gaming Keyboard? No way, never...
 

That's where the "open source" movement has always failed: they wrongly assume people need or want expertise beyond the basic use. And that is not the case 99% of the time. So, they only get the 1% user base that connects with their thinking.

They have not "failed". And do not mix "Open Source" with some particular kind of  free software. You produce your music and everyone can hear it. Music is by definition "open source"! But that does not mean everyone can copy/sell your music or use part of it in own compositions.
 
Linux is popular where it make sense. Not for gaming. Not (yet) for music. But for Phones, Web, Networking, etc. it already is. For example Android market place is much more then 1%, and Windows is not the nearest concurrent...

Well - when you buy an computer there is Windows installed by "default". If that was not the case for years an lot of people would have to decide what operating system they would have on their hardware. I think if Microsoft not had "strongly convinced" vendors in putting Windows on all the hardware, the general public would be more aware of other operating systems.
 
But let's not start an Linux-Windows war here. Windows is an good platform for DAW's and gaming, but Linux is raptly closing the gap that is between the two platforms. Already the Steam platform is present on Linux and more and more AAA games are coming to Linux. The same goes for DAW's. Native and Windows plugins are running well, and so does an lot of controller and audio hardware. The same goes for OSX.
 
But -really- that's not the subject here. The discussion is about Windows becoming an full subscription-based OS/platform or not. I think that's FAR more important, because this could have serious consequences for an lot of people!!!
 
I don't mind to have some software subscription based. I like the model Cakewalk is doing now. After one year of monthly paying the program in the latest state is yours. You can then stop the subscription (if you want to) and still have an working program. I do NOT like the Adobe model, because if you stop paying (even after years of paying), you end with nothing at all..
 
The big question is - Will Windows 10 become subscription based, and IF so.. will it become the "Cakewalk" or "Adobe" model. This will be immensely important for the consumer, because it's not simple software we are talking about here, but the complete environment that houses all your data/music/programs and so on. If that become subscription-based, all your stuff is at risk if you have not enough money to pay (and let's be fair - everyone can have times that money is scarce and the house rent and food is more important than software)...
 
I am honestly glad there is an alternative to Windows as DAW/graphical/game/work platform. If that's OSX or Linux is not that important. It will keep Microsoft sharp, and prevents (too) bad practices.