Firstly, I must say us Cakewalk users need to stick together, we are a rare breed and we know the value of Cakewalk Sonar Platinum like none others.
 
That said...
 
Secondly, I hear a lot of Cakewalk users saying how they were "ripped off" by Gibson and threatening lawsuits and simply being pissy jerks about it all. 
 
I have been using Cakewalk since Cakewalk for DOS... I will be the very last person to complain about anything! I have Platinum and it still functions like a finely oiled, dream, music making machine!
 
What I am getting at is, I see no reason why Gibson cannot continue to sell Cakewalk in all it glorious forms, updates or not!
 
There does not need to be any "updates" if there ever are, well, us lifetime members get them free. Simple concept really.
 
If there are no updates well then, there aren't. Again simple concept.
 
Gibson should be able to sell Cakewalk to users (without updates) in order to recoup losses and maybe dig themselves out of this hole Cakewalk (and piracy) has put them in!
 
Many programs are still being in sold with no updates.  WinRAR, Bryce3D by DAZ, I am sure together we could all name a hundred or more of them.
 
Gibson if you are listening, please again sell Cakewalk, recoup your losses and let the pissy moaning jerks be damned!
 
Double the price! lol :)
 
Cakewalk still rules the hen house!

I think it's legitimate for people to feel somewhat annoyed, First they were encouraged to sign up and pay continuously for rolling updates, essentially paying for a yearly upgrade in advance without knowing what benefits you'd get - those updates slowed down towards the end as well. Then they were asked instead to pay for 'lifetime' updates, where the users thought that meant the lifetime of a human, or at least a dog, not that of a poorly-kept goldfish.
 
I had a lot of mostly-happy years with Sonar but I am glad I saw the writing on the wall and moved to a DAW that not only offered the features I want right now but thankfully still has a clear "Pay exactly X - receive exactly Y" payment model. For those of you happy to stay with Sonar, great - it's a very capable DAW. But I think loyal users have a right to feel a little aggrieved.

Sonar, in its current form, still does 100% of what I need.  That does not negate the way Gibson treated the loyal customers.  The handwriting was on the wall, if we would have looked when they came up with the subscription model (to generate revenue).  They could have continued selling the product (as is) but made a decision not to and that is their prerogative and it appears that is a final decision. 
 
I too am moving (slowly) to a DAW that is currently supported.    

I understand where the OP is coming from because at a time when we should be looking to seal up loose ends or learn new DAW's, others are more focused on complaining.
 
But.. People grieve in different ways. If someone wants to place blame or complain about Cakewalk or Gibson... Let them. Its no business of ours. I've already made the mistake of debating these issues with people and wasting my own time.
I've moved on. Im still using Sonar because it does what I want it to do, but im also using Studio one.
I have no time for debates anymore. I have a new DAW to learn :-)

My Splat works like a comfy old pair of mukluks. I'm stickin to it.

The OP fails to realize that if they started to sell product again, Cakewalk would have to have support for new users.
I imagine the biggest cash outlay they had was for staff, so the whole idea is a non-starter. Sonar will rise again, but it will not be a Cakewalk product. If people desperately want Sonar they can buy it today from Tascam. It's part of a music production bundle. I'm assuming that's one of the things that are being done by the skeleton crew left in Boston.

The bundling SONAR (Professional)with the Tascam package isn't anything new and therefore unlikely to be a reason for the 'skeleton crew' or part of their duty. The 'Tascam Track Factory' was introduced over a year ago and includes SONAR Professional so . . .
 
http://tascam.com/news/display/12606/
 
They are also still selling packages bundled with Cubase LE, perhaps the "skeleton crew" are assisting with that also?
 
http://tascam.com/product/trackpack_2x2/
 
Add to that the fact that including SONAR 'anything' excludes the Mac crowd, which is probably why they include Cubase with products so as it appeals to the full crowd and not just half of it, I think it wishful thinking, but feel free to keep wishing, we have a saying over here, 'Wishing in one hand and Pi$$ing in the other'
 
SONAR/Cakewalk are dead, finished, little chance if any of them rising to their knees.

chuckebaby
 
But.. People grieve in different ways. 
 

Sorry Charlie, but I can't even begin to imagine how anyone could possibly "grieve" over some software company going tits up.
 
Seems a bit of an emotionally disproportionate response if truth be told.
 
 

SteveStrummerUK

chuckebaby
 
But.. People grieve in different ways. 
 

Sorry Charlie, but I can't even begin to imagine how anyone could possibly "grieve" over some software company going tits up.
 
Seems a bit of an emotionally disproportionate response if truth be told.
 

 
You're telling me! My response when I first read the announcement was "Huh! How about that!" 
 
I didn't even put down my sandwich. 
 

having loyalty to a product is a bit like having an unrequited crush