This is true of most software - drop back a decade and you'd still be able to get your work done without much trouble. I suppose subscriptions had to come, like forced upgrades, because there hasn't been anything of value in a new release since about 2006, aside from a more and more intrusive interface. Autodesk doesn't care about their customers any more, and they've become complacent and greedy. I believe that John walker said, years back, that they shouldn't alienate their original base of small customers, and he said that when there were few alternatives. Lots of smaller companies can't afford this endless, ever faster upgrade cycle.

I think Autodesk is making a big mistake. Maya Entertainment Creation Suite Standard (Note: the # indicates products that are on the Autodesk Web page but are hidden by CSS code.)ģds Max Entertainment Creation Suite Standard

Perhaps the better ratio is the reason AutoCAD LT will be the poster boy for permanent-license elimination. Most products carry the same ratios, but there is an anomaly with LT-branded software, which tends to be 30%, ie.

12.5% - Monthly subscription becomes more expensive (than annual) after 8 months.

40% - Annual subscription becomes more expensive (than perpetual) after 2 years and 5.5 months.

With the elimination of the perpetual license, how much more will Autodesk programs cost you? Owen Wengerd did the research, and found the following ratios: As I remind my kids, by buying a $70 high-gain antenna and never paying for cable tv, our family so far saved $27,430 - and counting. Paying repeatedly is more expensive than paying once, of course. Autodesk is thinking about eliminating perpetual licensing within the next two years (starting first with AutoCAD LT).

Autodesk autocad license price