As a consumer, I will never purchase subscription software. If a new version has a feature I need or because of OS upgrade, I'll purchase the new version or an upgrade if offered.
The physical goods model for software is much more consumer friendly. You don't need every single upgrade, you can choose how much to spend on an ongoing basis. If an "upgrade" is less suitable for you than the original, you can skip it or look for a substitute.
It's scary to contemplate a world where the software you rely on every day can change out from under you without your control or even knowledge. See the animosity aimed at Windows 10 updates.
We're in that world, to a large degree. By default, phone apps auto-update. OSes auto-update. Websites arbitrarily change behavior, as suits their owners. All but the last can be disabled (mostly), but it's still a pain.
