Logitech new business model - own nothing & be happy with subscription

[tszaboo]

I have a simple business model for Logitech: if they do this I will own nothing of theirs & they will not get my subscription.

I do own a few Logitech products and, barring some misuse on my part (spills and dropped keyboards) they seem to be reasonably resilient.  If the major cause of death for these products is in fact external factors, I can't see how a subscription model solves things.  Sure, there are possibly a few keyboards with worn keys and mice with broken buttons, but those take quite some time to set in if the manufacturer has put even half-decent components in them.

Yes, but then I see people paying subscription to a damn doorbell. And you see those everywhere. Like what does it do? Forward you few seconds of RSTP video feed every few days, saves a few megabyte of data on the cloud... 1300 employees. What the actual f are they doing there? You can literally throw together some python scripts for a linux machine to have the same basic functionality. And then it's expensive. I wonder why.
Here is what happens: You have a hardware product, you plan the development and launch of it. Then you plan 0 time for software. You compensate by hiring more software people. They turn your company into an agile self-sustaining ever-growing bureaucracy hellhole, that burns through more than a hundred million dollars a year. Instead of hiring a dozen competent engineer to do it.

[coppice]

I have a simple business model for Logitech: if they do this I will own nothing of theirs & they will not get my subscription.

I do own a few Logitech products and, barring some misuse on my part (spills and dropped keyboards) they seem to be reasonably resilient.  If the major cause of death for these products is in fact external factors, I can't see how a subscription model solves things.  Sure, there are possibly a few keyboards with worn keys and mice with broken buttons, but those take quite some time to set in if the manufacturer has put even half-decent components in them.

Yes, but then I see people paying subscription to a damn doorbell. And you see those everywhere. Like what does it do? Forward you few seconds of RSTP video feed every few days, saves a few megabyte of data on the cloud... 1300 employees. What the actual f are they doing there? You can literally throw together some python scripts for a linux machine to have the same basic functionality. And then it's expensive. I wonder why.
Here is what happens: You have a hardware product, you plan the development and launch of it. Then you plan 0 time for software. You compensate by hiring more software people. They turn your company into an agile self-sustaining ever-growing bureaucracy hellhole, that burns through more than a hundred million dollars a year. Instead of hiring a dozen competent engineer to do it.

Well, it could be worse. You could buy a bunch of expensive kit and the cloud service it requires goes out of business. I would hope a subscription raises the chances of them staying in business, but who knows. The real failing is the lack of standards for looking through your home's router/gateway box, in a secure manner, to directly access your own stuff from your own phone when on the move. Even people like TP-Link, who make both the routers and security devices that millions use, aren't doing much.

[Nominal Animal]

I wonder if the Logitech Lease-Mouse will work at all without an internet connection, to verify the subscription status?

The idea of the same driver that interprets my mouse movements needing an internet connection to work gives me the heebie-jeebies.

[SiliconWizard]

Well, yes! Think of your every mouse move being sent to a Logitech server, logged (to better serve you, of course!), processed via some AI to figure out what you really want to do, and finally sent back as actions to your computer! Isn't that great?

[xrunner]

Well, yes! Think of your every mouse move being sent to a Logitech server, logged (to better serve you, of course!), processed via some AI to figure out what you really want to do, and finally sent back as actions to your computer! Isn't that great?

  But that means the AI could take over your PC and do what it wants to do! 

[all_repair]

Not shortage of examples for CEO of her kinds to lead a tech company.  Next few quarters P&L should look good.  Can Logitech survive her?  The board asked for her P&G experiences, can't blame her.

[DimitriP]

Not shortage of examples for CEO of her kinds to lead a tech company.  Next few quarters P&L should look good.  Can Logitech survive her?  The board asked for her P&G experiences, can't blame her.

She might get a suprize by Christmas. No, not a good one.

[SiliconWizard]

Not worried for her. A bit more for Logitech employees and customers.

[MK14]

There are other possibly concerning problems, with this intended subscription model.  Depending on how concerned you are about privacy.

If the mouse subscription has your payment details (i.e. credit card, hence likely to also need your name/address/email and maybe other details).  Then if they collect your usage/etc data (as is all too common these days), it can tie it in with your exact/actual personal information.

So (hypothetically) the mouse (driver) might recognize what webpage you just visited (if that is technically possible, from within a mouse driver), e.g. a webpage showing new homes for sale.

Your personal details, can then be 'sold' to would be advertisers, saying you are looking to move and buy a new home.  So they can spam you at your active email, mobile/telephone numbers, physical address etc.

Made up (but typical) example:
I get concerned, when I look at a repair thread on the forum.  It mentions a particular monitor/TV model number, which I google, to find out more about it and its details.  E.g. ending up on an Amazon page.

I then switch to a different device, and adverts can pop up (appear on the webpages I visit), for that very same monitor/TV or whatever.

IIRC I've said I need a new something on Skype.  Then when on YouTube, adverts for the exact (relatively specific item type), pop-up.  Someone else, thinks it is just a coincidence, but I don't think so.

[m k]

I wonder if the Logitech Lease-Mouse will work at all without an internet connection, to verify the subscription status?

Phone card.

Card terminal for every computer.
Move tokens

[madires]

What about a mouse with integrated display to show ads?

[MK14]

What about a mouse with integrated display to show ads?

Better still.  Whenever an advert shows on screen, the subscription software automatically locks/freezes the mouse and keyboard, until the advert(s) have finished.

Unless you pay for the super-deluxe subscription model, which only costs double, the usual subscription.

Also, once the advert(s) have finished, the mouse only lets you close the advert (hence slightly more viewing time), first, before doing anything else with it.

I need to be careful, what I joke about, because:

Google Chrome warns uBlock Origin may soon be disabled

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-chrome-warns-ublock-origin-may-soon-be-disabled/

[Stray Electron]

Well, yes! Think of your every mouse move being sent to a Logitech server, logged (to better serve you, of course!), processed via some AI to figure out what you really want to do, and finally sent back as actions to your computer! Isn't that great?

  But that means the AI could take over your PC and do what it wants to do! 

  At that point AI has already taken over your computer; and it's merely doing what you told the mouse to do. But the controllers of the AI can re-direct your computer to do something else without your consent, or even your knowledge that it is doing something else. 

[schmitt trigger]

My favorite in the "Let's go subscription!" category is BMW's plan to charge a subscription fee for activating the pre-installed heated car seats. Good to see that customers just wouldn't have that and common sense prevailed: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/7/23863258/bmw-cancel-heated-seat-subscription-microtransaction

Unfortunately Tesla, the EV market leader at least for now, has these preposterous subscription services that, the last I read, have proven to be financially successful.

Thanks heavens that Tesla cut the Full Self Driving subscription from $199 to only $99 per month. Thanks Tesla, you are so generous!!

[MK14]

What about a mouse with integrated display to show ads?

They can add a loudspeaker to it, with the following (made up) advert.

Your Logitech mouse, has been enhanced with a powerful loudspeaker, to give you useful alerts and information.  Don't worry about annoying adverts, it might play.  You can easily disable them**, at any time.
[** = As long as you pay for the highest tier subscription, to enable that option.  When enabled, adverts will no longer audibly play, unless they are really important ones (as chosen by the advertisers), in which case they will still play]

[Nominal Animal]

Don't forget: the optical sensor is perfect for reading hidden (printed using near-IR absorbing/reflecting paints) mini-QR codes.

The trackability possibilities!  The monetization opportunities!

Pity.  Logitech destroyed its brand goodwill in one fell swoop, like certain large companies with their odd marketing campaigns that have still not fully recovered.  I have several Logitech keyboards and mice, but will definitely drop the brand: I am not a product for them to monetize.

[MK14]

Don't forget: the optical sensor is perfect for reading hidden (printed using near-IR absorbing/reflecting paints) mini-QR codes.

The trackability possibilities!  The monetization opportunities!

Pity.  Logitech destroyed its brand goodwill in one fell swoop, like certain large companies with their odd marketing campaigns that have still not fully recovered.  I have several Logitech keyboards and mice, but will definitely drop the brand: I am not a product for them to monetize.

I'd suggest waiting to see, what they eventually decide and do.  It might not be too bad.

I seem to have experienced, a Logitech mouse, going from lasting many years (e.g. around 7 years), down to more like a year and a half, until the (identical IIRC) replacement broke in the same/similar way.  Possibly due to reduced quality parts, such as buttons.

EDIT: Written in a shorter way 

[Nominal Animal]

I'd suggest waiting to see, what they eventually decide and do.  It might not be too bad.

The cat is out of the bag now.  If not Logitech, someone else will.  Everyone loses except the rent-seekers.

I'm worried they might do exclusive licensing deals with the optical sensor manufacturers like PixArt, making no-rent devices difficult or impossible to implement.

[MK14]

I'd suggest waiting to see, what they eventually decide and do.  It might not be too bad.

The cat is out of the bag now.  If not Logitech, someone else will.  Everyone loses except the rent-seekers.

I'm worried they might do exclusive licensing deals with the optical sensor manufacturers like PixArt, making no-rent devices difficult or impossible to implement.

That is a good and fair point.

They (Logitech), should really have had an engineer (qualified and/or experienced etc), at the top of the company.  Then the quality of the products would tend to remain, and potentially lackluster short-sighted, make more profit, in the short-term, at the customers expense.  Things, would tend to not happen.

[Zucca]

Okay, any good alternative to Logitech?

[coppice]

Okay, any good alternative to Logitech?

There are some really good Chinese makers of keyboards now, but their mice designs are still weak. Maybe that will come next.

[m k]

Our new mouse can read micro dots.

Our new product ad cards are now available everywhere, with minimal fee.
Find your next micro dot and win $1M, smaller winnings also available.

[shabaz]

The image below shows what is for me the most annoying problem with Logitech mice (apart from their Logitech windows app).
And Logitech engineers must be aware that the sticky plastic might eventually snag on the corner; they could have reduced the chance, by having a rounded corner. Maybe I don't take care of the mouse. It always has this problem eventually, after a couple of years. Plus, the plastic on the button area becomes shiny and worn over time, so its not as nice to use; and not something you'd want colleagues to use (if they are taking control of the PC briefly) after a few years! I can't see that I'd want to keep a Logitech-quality mouse forever without replacement parts.
The underside sticky pads are available as spares from Logitech but priced so high (about $25 USD from memory, once shipping is added), that one may as well just buy a new mouse. I keep checking occasionally for a similar mouse but have not found a non-Logitech alternative so far.

[coppice]

The image below shows what is for me the most annoying problem with Logitech mice (apart from their Logitech windows app).
And Logitech engineers must be aware that the sticky plastic might eventually snag on the corner; they could have reduced the chance, by having a rounded corner. Maybe I don't take care of the mouse. It always has this problem eventually, after a couple of years. Plus, the plastic on the button area becomes shiny and worn over time, so its not as nice to use; and not something you'd want colleagues to use (if they are taking control of the PC briefly) after a few years! I can't see that I'd want to keep a Logitech-quality mouse forever without replacement parts.
The underside sticky pads are available as spares from Logitech but priced so high (about $25 USD from memory, once shipping is added), that one may as well just buy a new mouse. I keep checking occasionally for a similar mouse but have not found a non-Logitech alternative so far.

A weird thing with those Master mice (at least the 2) is if you clean the wheels with the IPA the rubber disintegrates. I've never seen that happen anywhere else. You can't get a new rubber tyre for the wheel, even from sources like AliExpress. Another problem is the button in the left hand rubbery skirt. A lot of people seem to have that jam, and the mouse won't work at all. Its a pretty useless button to me, so having it be a source of trouble is pretty annoying.

[shabaz]

I'd forgotten about that, you're right. With the MX Master 3, they got rid of the rubber band entirely, it's not as nice to use the scrollwheel. The squidgy rubber-skirt thumb-button is ridiculous. The up/down buttons just above that are quite useful. The main reason I have stuck with the mouse is the physically large size (fits my hand better) and general shape is really comfortable. But I would switch brand in a shot as soon as I find a similarly comfortable mouse.