xiwix
Sonar code would save MS a lot of work and give Gibson some cash to give their creditors.

I'd expect Microsoft to be interested in something much more simplistic and cutesy.  Staffpad is practically worthless as a serious composition or scoring tool.  It 100 times too inaccurate in its recognition, and even if that worked perfectly, it is only 1% of the power of the serious notation products.  The screen shots in the Microsoft article hist at something far more superficial.
 

It was all suspicious when they said- the will develop Mac version, and then they said- they can't convert it and they were going to use converter for codes, not write new code... And became more suspicious when they offered Lifetime update "for the life of the product". Alchemy developing company also closed down first, everybody was upset, then it resurected under Apple. Would not surprise if Apple got Cakewalk any way... TO KILL. 

ampfixer
Pretty standard in the roofing business. Create a company, offer 25 yr warranties, go for 5 years and shut the company down for a week. Reopen with a clean slate and no baggage. It's a trend that's found its way to big business. Just ask Donald Trump. Write it off and walk away.

I am reminded of Gibson's ignominious Government series a couple of years ago - their arrogance, their posturing and their lies in that case caused to me boycott them for a few years.
 
Even though I am no longer using Sonar, this latest incident may very well be enough for me not to buy that white SG I've been dreaming of.
 
I'll do like most of the people I meet who used to use Gibson - buy an ESP. And have enough money left to visit Nashville and give Henry and Gibson the finger they so deserve...

TranceCanada
I would feel pretty shafted if Sonar were to become the back bone of a Microsoft DAW.  Having lifetime updates cease only to have the future product continue only under a different name.

I'd be more than happy to pay my yearly fee again if it meant Cakewalk was back in business and actively working on Sonar again. I paid $99 for lifetime over a year and a half ago. That's less than I paid for annual updates anyway so I got my monies worth.

Unlike Gibson, the management at Microsoft understands their core business, and it's not professional digital audio recording. They tried to get into web design software by buying Front Page, and the product was a dog from the day they took it over, even though I believe they hired the original coders. What they do is office productivity, operating systems and cloud computing. If they produce (or buy) any kind of DAW, it will turn out to be something like Garage Band, a fine program, but nothing like SONAR (or Pro Tools, or any pro package). I'm just trying to get my head around having to find another DAW after so long using only Cakewalk. Speculating that someone might keep SONAR alive -- after closing its doors -- is not productive.

ampfixer
 Just ask Donald Trump. Write it off and walk away.

Except unlike Cakewalk, Trump makes money.

TerraSin
I'd be more than happy to pay my yearly fee again if it meant Cakewalk was back in business and actively working on Sonar again. I paid $99 for lifetime over a year and a half ago. That's less than I paid for annual updates anyway so I got my monies worth.

The problem here is much deeper than Cakewalk.  Gibson has been in financial trouble for several years now.  Mayne people walk into a big music store and see all those guitars hanging on the wall with the venerable Gibson brand and think "this must be one big, profitable company."  No, not so much.
 
Gibson is leaving SONAR in better shape than they received it from Roland.  That means the it will probably still be usable for a few more years.  There are plenty of other good DAWs out there.  The big issue is what to do with all of those old SONAR projects out there that you may need to edit sometime in the future.  I think I might be inclined to build a PC (or virtual machine) dedicated to SONAR and completely disconnect it from the 'net so neither SONAR nor Windows could change on me.  If one did that, then they could open those old projects a decade from now.
 
I sure wouldn't create any new projects on SONAR.  Personally I was forced into buying StudioOne last summer because of a collaboration project.  I don't like it as well as SONAR, but it will do fine for now.  If Steinberg offers a good crossgrade deal, I'll look at that because I expect to eventually move to Dorico for music notation, but I'm in no big hurry.

Ionian

ampfixer
 Just ask Donald Trump. Write it off and walk away.

Except unlike Cakewalk, Trump makes money.

Don't be so sure about that.  He is the bankruptcy king.  He has lost far more money than he has ever made, but he has made sure he was mostly losing other people's money and found ways to keep plenty for himself.  But without the Russian money behind him, he would have a very large NEGATIVE net worth.  This is why he refuses to disclose any of his tax returns.