I'm working on an offline app and I'm probably just going to build it as a self hosted website since I never plan to distribute it and I already have a background in that tech (vs building a native gui).
You get way more money from someone if you ask for a stream of payments instead of a capital sum, especially when the cost of money is zero as it was until recently. They want your money, they just want more of it, so this is what is forced on you.
And this, more than anything else, is why I've shifted 100% to (1) open source software; (2) native system apps—which, on iOS, have gotten increasingly capable—and (3) apps with the pay-once licensing that remains. Greedy licensing has pretty much ended my impulse buys and window-shopping the App Store.
With enough money, it can be worked out. Many SaaS companies have an on-premises offering for large enterprise clients and sensitive organizations. It's not priced at $9.99/month, though.
I'm the opposite. Stop telling me to download your bloody app. I don't want your bloody app. If I did I would have already downloaded it. Just let me use the website in peace.
I actually think a significant number of people actually aren't as passionate about it working offline, and thats the main reason. The product can be sold ignoring the need to make it offline and the majority of people would be happy.
The ones that actually do, generally go enterprise.
> ... Sibelius basically won't let me just run the program I paid for without having to open their useless Avid Link app first. Seemingly, I can't run it without an internet connection now.
Atlassian recently got rid of its on-premise offerings for all but data center deployments which only larger customers opt for. So yeah they do not want your money.
Because we have to live out our destinies. What don't you get? Mutual assured destruction was promised, and it will be delivered. It must be delivered.
