Logitech Considers 'Forever Mouse' With Subscription Fee

[smirking]

However, that doesn't justify getting greedy by charging $10/month for software that used to cost $100 one-off. It certainly doesn'y justify artificially tying a bit of hardware to software just so you can charge a subscription.

I don't know where everyone's getting these numbers from, but read the article carefully. The CEO never actually said they were planning a subscription mouse. Nilay Patel asked "could you ever imagine a subscription service" and she said "possibly" and they went on to discuss the concepts that might fall under such a scenario.

Any business that's going to stay in business needs to be brainstorming how their world is going to look like in 10 years so they don't go under because they're completely caught totally unaware by change. That's all they were doing and MacRumors went and wrote a clickbait article based on that exchange that we're all freaking out about now.

 

[icanhazmac]

I've been using Logi for many years and would drop them in a heartbeat over this.

Don't do it.

 

[smirking]

I've been using Logi for many years and would drop them in a heartbeat over this.

I swear CEOs are so lazy nowadays. Instead of pushing for innovation in tech, they push for innovation in pricing.

Read the article. There are no plans for this. It was a vague concept conversation in a podcast that was initiated by the podcast host.

 

[Hopefully Smarter]

Remember when people subscribed to newspapers and magazines?

It made them smarter.

 

[Premium1]

Hard no. I will use my cheap Microsoft mouse I have been using for 5+ years and is still going strong. A subscription for a mouse is laughable.

 

[ignatius345]

What ”software updates” can there be to make a mouse “new”? Are they adding camera functionality, text messaging or a toaster oven?

I don't even want to know, but I'm going to assume it's basically a basket of dubious features they can dangle to justify getting their tendrils into as much of your data as they can get away with.

I like very much my Logitech G305 gaming mouse, but the moment I was done configuring settings and saving them to the mouse's onboard memory, I uninstalled from my Mac the crapware from Logitech.

All these companies want to use their piece of hardware as a trojan horse to get you into their "ecosystem".

 

[jjwwqq]

No, I will never pay a subscription fee for a cursor control device.

 

[icanhazmac]

Read the article.

I did read the entire article and know there "are no plans". I was simply registering my opinion on the topic.

Thanks so much for your smug reply tho, hope it made you feel superior.

 

[peejer]

Heck to the no!
What a dumb A#$ idea. Corporate greed is out of control.

 

[theluggage]

I don't know where everyone's getting these numbers from, but read the article carefully. The CEO never actually said they were planning a subscription mouse.

That's completely true in this case - although the CEO could have shot the idea down in flames when the interviewer suggested it.

...but the move to subscriptions for software (and even hardware) is a real trend and it's quite common for the subscription to hide a massive price increase over the typical useful lifetime of a 1-off purchase. Parallels Desktop - for instance - used to be less than £100 one-off which would typically last me at least 3 years and survive at least one major MacOS upgrade, usually followed by a decent discount when a new version was needed. The subscription is now £90 per year (but to be fair they do still offer a one-off option...)

 

[smirking]

Thanks so much for your smug reply tho, hope it made you feel superior.

Sorry about that. I should have taken more time to write clearly. It wasn't meant to be smug. It was basically a frustrated "Come on everyone, read the article!" sort of comment.

 

[rishey]

Logitech has worked on a "forever mouse" that could come with a subscription fee for regular software updates, according to Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber.

There are no plans to release such a product at the current time, but Faber explained the concept during a recent appearance on The Verge's Decoder podcast with Nilay Patel. Apparently, the Logitech innovation center team in Ireland showed Faber a "forever mouse" that is designed to be used for many years. It's a "little heavier" than a standard mouse, and it has "great software and services" that get constantly updated.Logitech is aiming to increase the longevity of its products through more premium devices that can be updated over time. Of course, as a mouse is a one-time purchase, continual software updates would need to be funded through some kind of service model.

Patel asked Faber if she could "envision a subscription mouse," and she responded "possibly." Faber went on to explain that customers would "never have to worry about [their mice] again," which is similar to Logitech's video conferencing services.

When asked whether Logitech had some other model for monetization than subscription fees or advertising, Faber said no, and that she was "intrigued" by a forever mouse that has an accompanying business model around software updates.
Later in the interview, Faber said that there could also be a model where customers trade in a mouse for a newer version, similar to something like the iPhone Upgrade Program.
Faber pointed out that customers spend around $26 on a mouse or keyboard on average, which is "really so low" for "stuff you use every day." She said there's "so much room to create more value in that space as we make people more productive."

Article Link: Logitech Considers 'Forever Mouse' With Subscription Fee

Gross. I wish consumers would steer away from engaging in subscription model software, then we wouldn't be moving to subscription model hardware. It's all designed for the corporate revenue stream, not for the consumer.

 

[omiks]

Sumimasen, WTF?!

 

[beggj572]

Logitech has worked on a "forever mouse" that could come with a subscription fee for regular software updates, according to Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber.

There are no plans to release such a product at the current time, but Faber explained the concept during a recent appearance on The Verge's Decoder podcast with Nilay Patel. Apparently, the Logitech innovation center team in Ireland showed Faber a "forever mouse" that is designed to be used for many years. It's a "little heavier" than a standard mouse, and it has "great software and services" that get constantly updated.Logitech is aiming to increase the longevity of its products through more premium devices that can be updated over time. Of course, as a mouse is a one-time purchase, continual software updates would need to be funded through some kind of service model.

Patel asked Faber if she could "envision a subscription mouse," and she responded "possibly." Faber went on to explain that customers would "never have to worry about [their mice] again," which is similar to Logitech's video conferencing services.

When asked whether Logitech had some other model for monetization than subscription fees or advertising, Faber said no, and that she was "intrigued" by a forever mouse that has an accompanying business model around software updates.
Later in the interview, Faber said that there could also be a model where customers trade in a mouse for a newer version, similar to something like the iPhone Upgrade Program.
Faber pointed out that customers spend around $26 on a mouse or keyboard on average, which is "really so low" for "stuff you use every day." She said there's "so much room to create more value in that space as we make people more productive."

Article Link: Logitech Considers 'Forever Mouse' With Subscription Fee

This has gone too far.

 

[Kaze9]

I find it amazing they took a positive story ostensively about planned obsolescence and pro-consumer business models and flipped it immediately into how can we en-shittify desktop peripherals.

This is just as bad as BMW charging a subscription for heated seats.

 

[Monotremata]

Well after 20 something years of using their stuff, that would be a GREAT way to make me instantly stop and never buy another Logitech mouse or keyboard again.

Hell might as well finally just get the overpriced magic keyboard and mouse at that rate. At least Apple updates those when they need them without issue.

 

[TheSwedeLander]

"never have to worry about [their mice] again" What does that even mean?

I can honestly say that I have never had to worry about my mouse before. Maybe after many years of use, I may want to get a new one because the existing one is breaking in some capacity. Or perhaps I prefer a particular ergonomic design or type of mouse hardware based on a specific use case. But I don't think software updates will have any effect on any of those. Seems like they've lost the plot. Sometimes simple is better. I genuinely can't imagine what kind of software/OS they'd implement in a mouse that would need to be updated on a regular basis.

 

[trusso]

I don't know where everyone's getting these numbers from, but read the article carefully. The CEO never actually said they were planning a subscription mouse. Nilay Patel asked "could you ever imagine a subscription service" and she said "possibly" and they went on to discuss the concepts that might fall under such a scenario.

Any business that's going to stay in business needs to be brainstorming how their world is going to look like in 10 years so they don't go under because they're completely caught totally unaware by change. That's all they were doing and MacRumors went and wrote a clickbait article based on that exchange that we're all freaking out about now.

Nah, Logitech understands what they’re saying. They’re testing the proverbial waters, peacocking for investors, and when they finally pull some crap like this, they can say they warned us years ago.

If the last 8 years have taught me anything, it’s that anything (even the worst things) are possible, and that many people freely go along with things that are objectively bad for them because they can’t imagine life outside their in-group.

 

[adioz]

Yeah I paid a damned sight more than $26 for my ambidextrous lightspeed G90# mouse and after 2 years the buttons started failing with phantom clicks registering.

How about you make your expensive mouse a longer-than-2-years mouse, Logitech before you look at 'forever' ones?

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Faber pointed out that customers spend around $26 on a mouse or keyboard on average, which is "really so low" for "stuff you use every day." She said there's "so much room to create more value in that space as we make people more productive."

Translation: "Create more value" for Logitech and their stockholders, not for the consumer.

 

[webkit]

This is just as bad as BMW charging a subscription for heated seats.

The Logitech mouse subscription would at least involve ongoing software updates/improvements. The BMW heated seats subscription was essentially just about activating or deactivated existing hardware.

BMW received a fair amount of backlash from this and eventually ended it as an option, at least for now. I think some people failed to realize this was an OPTION and that heated seats could still be purchased the traditional way (in full). Most new BMWs are acquired by monthly payment (leased) anyway.

Others felt they were essentially paying for the feature twice if they subscribed since the hardware already existed in the car. Tesla faced similar criticism regarding batteries when customers bought cars that were software locked at lower capacity. The hardware was already there, it just needed to be accessed (for a price). Tesla's FSD is also similar as the hardware already exists on the car, access just needs to be turned on or off either by paying in full or by subscription.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I would not buy a repairable mouse. A broken mouse gets replaced on the spot and we get back to work.

Well there you go, you’re one of the ones buying lots of $20 or a moderate amount of $50 mice. But if that mouse was really nice and only wearing parts like the sliders underneath are worn out, some people would take that option.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I have a drawer full of sub-$20 mice I’ve accumulated over the years (many years) and none has failed so far.

All but one are wireless and most are BT.

I do have a MX Master 3 and a Microsoft Arc, both were quite a bit more expensive but they had some very specific features that I wanted.

In the hindsight, while MX is probably the nicest mouse I have, it’s also the one I could most easily give up and replace with a similar no-brand mouse. The Arc is fantastic and I love it for what it is. But I would never pay a subscription for it.

I agree the subscription aspect is crazy. And a mouse might be a bad example. But he’s the CEO of a company that makes mice, so of the two directions to go, I’d rather see them add a premium line than junk up their entire product line with subscriptions.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

I read a different summary of this discussion that emphasized different parts. He did mention subscriptions. It was in the context of how a company can sustain itself if people aren't constantly buying its products.
...

There's no right answer for everyone. He was just talking about options. In many ways, that $200 mouse is the best bargain.

She. The Logitech CEO is a woman.

 

[joecomo]

this looks like the nonsense the Logitech management tells their investors - dreaming of subscription revenue skyrocketing.
Nobody wants that - you probably don't believe this yourselves