It seems like every day more of the things I consume are turning into "convenient monthly subscriptions."
Take Netflix, for example. Eight-measly-bucks-a-month let's me watch all sorts of great movies and TV shows. I must say, for now, I'm a huge fan.
And, friends recently got me into Rdio - why buy a song here and there when I can have access to almost anything I could ever want to listen to for a mere five dollars per month?
At work it's no different. We rarely purchase "real" software anymore.
Subscription models may be the wave of the future. Just imagine never buying a song, movie, TV show, book, magazine, newspaper, etc. ever again but having 24/7 access to it all.
But, is it as awesome as it sounds?
Let's see how this could play out. Imagine a company (Apple) that is smart enough and big enough (Apple) that has enough resources (Apple) to pull off something like this*:
For media, it makes perfect sense. But, how long until this spills over into other aspects of life?
Will we one day have different tiers of "lifestyle" that we could subscribe to?
Imagine companies that put together packages where you "rent" your entire lifestyle. Why not have one payment to live in your desired neighborhood (utilities included), driving the car you want (maintenance included), wearing the clothes you like (laundry services included), etc?
Would this be a good thing? Will we own anything ever again? Are we losing anything by giving up ownership - or are we merely trimming the fat?
*In no way am I claiming that this is what Apple, specifically, is or will be offering. This is meant to be to be a conversation-starter.
