I have the same bias as the parent. I'd rather pay $50 one time than $9 a year even if I throw it away after 4 years.

But the main reason I wouldn't install it despite being happy customizing linux is that it's yet another black box I need to trust and that knows way too much. It's really insane how much you need to compromise your security on macos to have a decent developer experience.

It's not economical. Lifetime sales for a lifetime unlock would probably be under $100. So not worth it for the developer.