Re: Forget Mice... are you ready for subscription COMPUTERS?

On 06/08/2024 01:48, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

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."
 

What an absolute bunch of twaddle even by CEO standards, it's hard to know where to start with this one so let's start with the cost. My last much cost me about 20p a month for it's fifteen year life and the basic functions still worked but the DPI buttons just got a bit sticky. Now I'm guessing that the subscription is going to be more than 20p a month. Next up, software updates. The main benefit of my current mouse over my old one (both MX518's) is the hero version has a more response sensor. I'd like to see how a software update would achieve that.
Finally (I'm not even going to start on the AI button), the comparison to a Rolex watch. What stupidity is this, I have what would be considered a premium watch and it's not because it's tells the time better, or even keeps it better, than one I could have bought that would cost me less than a new strap for mine does. It's because I like the look of it so it's more than just something that tells the time. Rolex goes even further in that it's considered a status symbol, is the mouse you use ever going to be considered that. What are they going to do, set some diamonds in it just to impress people?
Is one of the qualifications of being a CEO that you are completely clueless about your own market?