|
This is the same type of toxic nickel-and-diming that's plaguing every software-infused product across many industries.
It's a bit sad to see how the internet and tech have devolved within the last 5-10 years.
It went from this open, connected, boundless platform for innovation, dissent, connectivity, and innovation, to a limited, controlled, manipulated network.
So stagnant are companies in their innovation, that instead of developing new & better products/services to entice the customer, choose to nickel-and-dime customers by designing with planned-obsolescence or imposing mandatory subscription to keep the customer perpetually at their mercy.
What happens if the customer resists/declines (i.e., use the old product/version instead of upgrading and/or stop paying subscription)?
It stops working.
Just like that. Obsolete.
So welcome to 2018 where you now have to buy a product, pay the full price of the product AND keep paying a monthly/annual subscription, in order for it to keep working as advertised.
Office 365, PlayStation Plus, and Carly for BMW are examples of products & services that I've refused to support after they switched to a subscription-based model.
Just imagine the trend in another 10-20 years as more and more things are "smart" and "connected" to each other and the internet.
One day you stop paying your Smart Thermostat Subscription. Your A/C hardware works just fine and you paid your electricity bill, but you didn't pay Nest the $5.99/month to keep the App and fancy screen on your thermostat operational/active. So now you can't use it.
Oh it gets better, you also didn't pay your Smart Door Lock Subscription, and now you can't even get into your own house.
So BMW, it's great if you want to follow Silicon Valley and Tesla in their quest for more connectivity and automation, but if connectivity and automation means being perpetually at your mercy, then I will gladly decline.
|