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From: Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Forget Mice... are you ready for subscription COMPUTERS?
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2024 17:48:41 -0700
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On 8/3/2024 10:20 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> 
> So, this idea has a little more meat to it. Computer manufacturer NZXT
> (they make boutique gaming PCs) wants to make PCs with a subscription
> (or perhaps rental) fee. Prices range from roughly $50 to $170USD per
> month (plus initial shipping costs), depending on what sort of
> computer you get. NZXT also promises "seamless upgrades" every two
> years and 24/7 support
> 
> Read about it here: https://nzxt.com/collection/flex
> 
Another article about this:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/tech-ceo-says-people-will-enjoy-paying-a-monthly-fee-to-use-a-mouse-you-re-going-to-really-love-that/ar-BB1qZ08g?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=7fc0c40356624d89ba26db05334c3480&ei=44

Tech CEO says people will enjoy paying a monthly fee to use a mouse. 
‘You’re going to really love that.’

"Logitech’s new CEO has grand ideas for the computer hardware company, 
and one of them is a “forever mouse” that you’d never have to replace 
but that you may have to pay for every month.

The CEO, Hanneke Faber, told the Verge’s Decoder podcast that the 
immortal mouse is still just a concept, but that one day Logitech could 
create a mouse that, like a nice watch, is useful in perpetuity—with the 
help of software updates.

“I’m not planning to throw that watch away ever,” Faber said. “So why 
would I be throwing my mouse or my keyboard away if it’s a fantastic 
quality, well designed, software enabled mouse.”

Faber noted that Logitech was not “necessarily super far away” from 
making the forever mouse a reality, but added that the high price of its 
extreme durability may require the company to add a subscription model 
to help make it profitable.

The average price of a mouse or a keyboard is about $26, Faber said, and 
Logitech has the opportunity to create a higher priced, premium product 
that delivers more quality. While Faber acknowledged that consumers may 
be shocked by the concept of a subscription mouse, she said the quality 
is worth it.

“Imagine it’s like your Rolex. You’re going to really love that,” she 
told the Verge.

Logitech did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

The hardware company is no stranger to bold mouse ideas. In April it 
announced a mouse with a built-in AI button that could be used to launch 
an AI prompt builder to help summarize text or write emails.

Faber’s mouse-as-a-service concept is the latest example of the 
increasing prevalence of subscription-based business models in unusual 
categories. While customers may be used to paying a subscription for 
movie or music streaming, now hardware companies are trying to get in on 
the trend.

HP introduced a subscription service in February that lets customers 
print 20 pages on their included printer and ink starting at $6.99 per 
month. Both Ring and Google have also recently raised prices for basic 
subscription plans for their smart doorbells and thermostats, respectively.

Some customers have already decried Logitech’s idea of adding yet 
another subscription for an everyday object. One user on Twitter said 
there is no need for a “forever mouse,” because their mouse from 30 
years ago has held up just fine.

Other social media users on the r/hardware forum on Reddit poked fun at 
the idea that Logitech might go the way of HP’s printer plan and limit use.

“[N]umber of mouse movement[s] exceeded. [P]lease upgrade to pro account 
so you can further move your mouse,” one user wrote."

-- 
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky 
dirty old man.