LISSERSOFT
SWEET SOFTWARE STUFF
What is Subscription Software, Exactly?
What is subscription software? It's the reason I started this blog. It's new, every company does it differently, and it is really just kinda confusing. Here's what I've got:
Subscription software is new and gaining popularity as a method of getting access to pricey professional programs at lower immediate cost. Getting a subscription for software, like Adobe Creative Cloud, means that you buy access to the services and/or products for a certain amount of time. More often than not, it's either a reoccurring monthly or annual bill.
The benefits of a subscription are that you only pay for access to the software for only as long as YOU need said software. For example, it's incredibly useful and frugal for a student who needs Adobe InDesign for a semester of graphic design classes. A subscription of InDesign runs $20 a month--for four months of classes that's $80.00. Pretty cheap compared to the old upfront cost of an Adobe program.
And when that student's class is over? They can cancel the subscription and not have to worry about InDesign anymore!
Subscriptions for software make it easier to afford programs like this and at the same time get the most updated version of a product. If you're a professional artist or photographer who works in Adobe Photoshop, you can buy Photoshop for $20 a month (or even $10 a month, I think they have a special that includes Photoshop and Lightroom) and always have the newest, sparkliest version of the product. Kinda like having the world in your hands.
There are, of course, some drawbacks too. Subscription software may not always be the most frugal option for the long term and every company will be different in terms of their subscription options! Each program will have its pros and cons that I hope to investigate.
And I know I've been talking a lot about creative programs. I use them a lot in my every day life! But never fear: this blog is dedicated to software of all colors and I intend to publish reviews of all kinds here, from business to education to art to engineering.