e.Blue
I'm starting to feel like Mac support IS the only logical explanation for the drawn out announcement and the intro of lifetime upgrades. Think about it... Cakewalk is probably trying to lock in as many current SONAR users as possible. Once SONAR is available on OSX, it will be competing against Apple's Logic which only cost $200. This means that they will have to lower the price of SONAR significantly. Lowering the price that much would probably tick off many long-time SONAR users and essentially make the subscription-based model obsolete.
...JMHO
I'm not sure. For years Noel and Seth have said it would be too hard to port Sonar to Mac, the base code being so intrinsic to Windows.
My take is that the Sonar engine is going to be used in alternate products. Splat will stay the mainstay but there'll be a Live type product with the same audio engine but enhanced midi and warping then a product with video editing capacity and then maybe a notation product.
No doubt versions running on iOs and android.
Or an entire new cross code platform.
Whatever no company can sustain a lifetime membership model as someone else has said. So either Splat has limited life or there will be a change as I outlined above