I can appreciate what everyones going thru and Im sure we will know more tomorrow.
I think (at the risk of being redundant) my basic issue was well summed up by the other Walter. And for folks who didnt see his post, he states my big concern with the Cloud approach as far as we know it now. The first sentence is the key.
Regarding “I don’t always drop my subscriptions, but when I do, I prefer to keep something for all the money I’ve put in”
I agree.
I think that Creative Cloud is a great option to have, as it lowers the upfront cost to zero, and as I realistically don’t have the option of not upgrading from an interoperability standpoint.
I think perpetual license is a great option to have, as it carries no recurring fees.
There is a middle path. I prefer the maintenance model that companies like Autodesk and Maxon use: you buy into the software, then you pay a regular maintenance/subscription fee. As you as you’re paying, you get updates. If you stop paying, everything you have licensed to that point is still perpetually licensed. If you want another update, you’re going to have to pay retail for it, or pay extra to get back on subscription.
I think maintenance is the best of both worlds. The customer gets regular updates and doesn’t feel locked in. The developer gets a regular revenue stream. I’d love to see Adobe offer something like this.
Since they currently still offer them (even after the no boxes announce – see below) I would like the option of install disks for CS Next as well.

Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxPrG3WUyz8
(Best viewed at 1080P and full screen)
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid