We should kill subscription models with LLMs app by app (and possibly server by server) until hardware is sold as standalone hardware with no strings attached. I don't care if this slows down r&d or makes printers more expensive. Hardware vendors have abused the subscription model to a point that they can't be trusted with it.

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Rohansi a day ago | parent | next [-]

I'd love a replacement for Cricut's software. You don't need a subscription for it but a few features are locked behind a subscription, and they nag a lot, and it's just so bad.

	▲	abirch a day ago \| parent [-]
		Do you think you could extend this? This isn't my forte but my daughter uses this and it's only improved for Silhouette: https://github.com/fablabnbg/inkscape-silhouette

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simpsoka a day ago | parent | prev [-]

I think they initially sold this machine at a loss because of the subscription, and now they sell it even lower because people really don't want their hardware locked into a subscription.

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curtisblaine a day ago | parent [-]

Yep, I'm really happy when this kind of model dies. Even if it means that it's more difficult to innovate, or to launch something new. We will survive.

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abirch a day ago | parent | next [-]

I think it'll be more essential to innovate as you can't bully people into continuing to pay for an old product.

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rvz a day ago | parent | prev [-]

> Even if it means that it's more difficult to innovate, or to launch something new. We will survive.

So a monopoly / duopoly is a better alternative?

This makes absolutely no sense and is just completely unrealistic in the economic sense from a startup perspective.

	▲	curtisblaine 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> So a monopoly / duopoly is a better alternative? Why a monopoly/duopoly? Embroidery machine companies will still continue to exist, they just won't be able to sell the machine at a low price point and recoup the money via subscription. It's a business model that has existed for thousands of years: I do the thing, you buy the thing, our business relationship ends. Maybe they will have less money and they will innovate less and they will sell at a higher price. We will survive, they will survive. > completely unrealistic in the economic sense from a startup perspective. Are you implying that startups can only exist if they can access a subscription based revenue? We had thousands of successful startups in the past that made money building typewriters or embroidery machines or hoovers without subscriptions. Not sure why recurring revenue is now a necessary condition to be a startup.