@Lareedrdg wrote:
it is definitely predatory, in my opinion, for AutoCad to force everyone into a subscription based version of their software that forces everyone into working off of their "cloud". So much for individual autonomy and keeping your version installed and running. I am an independent design contractor and this forced subscription service isn't cheap, has set backs and occasional slow, lagging reflexes, and seems to restrict free enterprise. Gone are the days when you could buy an older version for $400.00 and use it for several years, then buy a newer one and carry that cost over several years. It is a hardship for small independents like me. It frustrates me that students get the software for free.

Agree with everything you say, from a consumer POV. But it's a free market and you, me, everyone are free to tell Autodesk BYE and find another vendor. Autodesk is essentially daring us to do that. They pay a lot of smart people, a lot of $$$, to figure out what the market will bear for their products, and monthly, annual, or 3 year rentals are the answer(s).

 

Just as a correction, just because you rent Autodesk software does not force you to "work off their cloud". The only thing cloud based is the authorization, and you do not have to be online all the time. It works find offline as long as you periodically let it phone home. You can still store your files on your own local servers.