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Comment by whycome | Hacker News Reader

What are the reasons Apple might stick with the one-time-fee model for Logic and Final Cut Pro? (What are the advantages? Even if those advantages might just be for goodwill with their existing (pro)consumer base.)

(Not rhetorical here -- I'm genuinely curious)

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Unlike Microsoft, Apple seems to understand that sometimes it's okay to not milk every last cent out of every last possible channel — looking at you, ads in the operating system. I would wager the revenue they could make on making that software a recurring subscription is pennies compared to the marketing ethos that every pro artist uses Apple, and so should you. The amount of hardware and iCloud subscriptions they sell to all aspiring artists, kids who want to be like their heroes, their parents, etc, should far outweigh what they could make from the other end.

Apple has ads in their OS too. Inside Settings on iOS, they constantly push Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, AppleCare+, etc at the very top of Settings

I would also call the news plus, sports, and audio tabs in the News app advertising as they cannot be disabled. Likewise it defaults to the Apple TV+ tab in the TV app on launch and adds Apple TV+ spam to the Home tab even with no subscription. The Stocks app has News+ spam starting this year. App Store is full of unrelated “promoted” apps. Accidentally hitting the “play” button on a computer prompts for Music subscription.

If Apple had any self respect at all these would be one time per year at best prompts or something which could be disabled with a subscription. I would no longer recommend Apple as the go to for respecting their customers.

> compared to the marketing ethos that every pro artist uses Apple, and so should you.

I'd argue Apple has already achieved this, at least in my circle (Photography). I've ran a photography business on the side for going on 5 years now, and I've yet to meet a single (professional) photographer in my market that doesn't use or recommend mac's. Anytime the question of "What computer to get" comes up in Photography forums as well, it's always some variation of "M-series MBP."

Of course, it helps that Lightroom Classic runs like absolute crap on even the beefiest Windows desktop, but Apple is still synonymous with creative professional, and has been for a while.

Funny I just posted the exact opposite in another comment I guess experiences differ.

I think there are two possible reasons. The first is they stand to make a lot of money from selling high spec machines to creative types (look at the upgrade costs to the new Mac Mini) simply because the cost of a computer is a drop in the bucket for large media enterprises. And the second (may be a little optimistic from my end) they gain a lot of prestige from their computers and software being used to make media and art.

Probably as a "bait" to get users into the Apple ecosystem? They can't run Logic on PC so they have to buy an expensive Mac.

I'm wondering now if it also serves as a better way to also make users stick around (and ultimately buy more hardware). eg., with a subscription model, it might make it slightly easier to bail and try an alternative? (especially when those alternatives might offer discounts on subscriptions).

I could see it either way, Apple still gets a benefit.

Whether a subscription or purchase any piece of software you use on a Mac that you can’t get on Windows is one more sticking point that helps Apple retain their users. And since they make a lot of profit on their hardware that’s a very good thing for them.

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