"3. Your software will always be up to date, the newest version, the newest features, so no more need to wait for the next version that will be released in a year or two... hopefully. When there is something new, you get it!"
 
As an Adobe user, I see this as good for Adobe, bad for the consumer. What is the incentive for them to improve their products for the existing customer base? Once you join the Cloud, you're locked in if you need to use their software. It's like a captive audience.
 
For me I'm going to stick with Adobe Creative Suite CS5. It works for me and I won't have to spend $360/yr for the privilege of using their software. I'm not a pro graphics guy that needs the latest and greatest...
 
Walt

I think Craig asks some really good questions towards the end of his article.  If those questions could be answered to my personal satisfaction then I could see cloud computing (for me at least) being an option.

hellogoodbye
P.S. Steam is a site and a program that lets you buy mainly games online, download them and install them locally on your computer. With a login to Steam you can access everything you buy on any computer. Everything is installed locally but with Steam you DO need an internet connection all the time because you have to login to Steam before you can use the programs you have installed. It's another kind of cloud thing, you could say. This system is NOT what you would want for things like Sonar or Adobe software or anything else that can have a deadline. Games don't have a deadline... 

Steam can actually be launched in an offline mode. The MC6T - Steam experience is the same if you are online or offline. 

This is just one of the reasons I dumped Adobe's Audition in favor of Sonar X2.

Thanks for all the input on this. It seems there are many different ways vendors are utilizing the Cloud for software distribution, which can make things confusing for the user. I 'm sure there will be a lot more changes as things progress.
 
In some cases the move is clearly for increased profit margin. And though some users will like it, for many it will change the whole idea and purpose of what "personal computing" is all about. So I hope it never becomes the only option.
 
Steve

When personal computers first came along, the selling point was freedom. No more need for using a dumb terminal on a network, and no more waiting for computing time. Like most modern things, we are now being asked to give up our autonomy and freedom. Data is being mined by corporations and government. They use that data to make money but the end user gets nothing.
 
I'm not ready to give up my freedom yet and I'll never willingly trust a company to manage my information.

I'm not too interested in the prospect of paying some continuous subscription to rent a piece of software. What's so wrong with wanting to simply pay a one-time price, have your copy of the program and be done with the matter?... Adobe's switch to cloud-only, subscription-based technology is the primary reason I won't be upgrading my Creative Suite programs, and I don't think I could justify doing any differently if Sonar went in that direction (which I pray it never does, at least not EXCLUSIVELY; if there's a fair choice between options, that's might be ok - and I emphasize "fair", meaning not to charge double the price to buy your own copy instead of "renting" the thing...).

Uh, oh............ two bakers in the same thread. Does this mean they're thinking about it ? ;)
 
 

dimelives1
 What's so wrong with wanting to simply pay a one-time price, have your copy of the program and be done with the matter?....

From the consumers view, nothing. From the vendors view, that way they can't make you buy the "new, improved" version every year.
 
 

paulo
From the consumers view, nothing. From the vendors view, that way they can't make you buy the "new, improved" version every year.

Well then I guess they'd just have to focus on continuing to make a truly great program that you just can't refuse...