Would You Rent Productivity Software?

When Adobe announced that they were going to open up their productivity software to monthly and yearly rentals, it was taken by many to be a sign of things to come in the professional software market.

Instead of having to pay full price for access to software you may replace every year as new versions become available, you have the option of renting the license on a short-term basis.

To be clear, you're already technically renting software when you purchase it. It doesn't matter if you purchase a retail box or pay for a direct download version of the program, the license itself is all you're really paying for. That license can be valid indefinitely, or it may come with a limited term of support.

If given a choice, would you prefer to pay full price, or rent your software at a lower rate for a restricted amount of time?