Software as a Monthly Rental - NYTimes.com

Final paragraphs of a David Pogue review of Adobe's aggressive software rental pricing/licensing model

"But let’s face it: most professionals think they need Photoshop. So Adobe’s incentive to keep improving these programs isn’t exactly life or death. Nobody knows what improvements Adobe plans to add, how many, how often, or what the subscription rates will be next year or the year after that. Adobe is just saying, “Trust us.”
Whether you do or not, there’s no denying that the big picture has changed. From now on, you won’t just cut monthly checks for your mortgage, your electric bill and your cable TV. Now, you’ll be cutting one more — for your software."

Software as a Monthly Rental - NYTimes.com