New Office restrictions - is this a joke?

Zigzag - a friend of mine reported that Windows 10 DOES that, they upgraded the motherboard and had to purchase a new license because the software no longer recognized it as the same computer. 

Palcouk - Examining some factors and a little math: The first Word program to use .docx was released (with Office 2007) at the beginning of 2007. There was a 2010 version and a 2013 version, but the only one that really improved functionality more than just some superficial appearance alterations (at least as far as basic users go, rather than people who are doing a lot of document sharing) was the 2016 version, which was just released recently, at the end of 2015. The 2007 version still works fine, so technically I could keep using that without an issue, but the 2016 version has some nice features, so I'll upgrade to that. 

That means it took almost ten years before a version of Word came along that had significant enough improvements to be worth buying an upgrade. So here comes the math part: 

2 copies of Office now: $460

2 copies of Office 10 years from now: $460 (or so)

2 copies of Office 10 more years after that: $460 (or so)

Total cost after 20 years if I don't use the subscription service: $1,380

365 subscription: $100 a year

Total cost after 20 years: $2,000

And that's assuming Microsoft doesn't jack up the price of the subscription a few years down the way, which is a pretty big assumption the way things are going. Also, note that the third version of Office in the non-subscription option will be decently usable for another nine years, so technically that's 29 years at $1,380 vs. 29 years at $2,900 on the subscription. 

So please don't try to tell me the subscription is such a great deal. It's not. It's a ripoff. A scam. Period. And the whole 'you are only allowed to use one computer unless you want to buy more copies of the exact same software' thing comes across as a sad attempt to drive people into using the ripoff subscription service because most people won't do the math and realize that paying $460 up front is far cheaper in the long run than the subscription. 

It still ultimately boils down to punishing loyal fans who like your products enough to own and use more than one of your machines. I still don't understand what possible point there is in forcing people to either pay WAY more on a subscription service or to buy the exact same software over and over except for greed. If there is an explanation, I'd love to hear it, but all it looks like from here is a money grab.

Well Im glad Im not the only one who can't see the logic of this other than to keep raking in the revenue. At 70 Ive been using windows since '98 and have chosen to use open office on my laptop and keep full purchase office for the pc which I use all the time. 

Like so many of the wealthy who make money hand over fist, they don't seem to be aware or care about students and pensioners with limited incomes whose lifeline is the internet - certainly in my own case.

"nuff said :(

365/Home is licensed for 5 devices

You can still buy a one off office perpetual license for the single device

All office versions can be removed from one device to install on another.

Whilst any subscription is in place its automatically upgraded to any later version, the perpetual licensed version, you would have to buy the later version

Many software suppliers now use the subscription model

Your reply isn't too helpful. OP said he does not want to purchase a 365 scam.

a friend of mine reported that Windows 10 DOES that, they upgraded the motherboard and had to purchase a new license because the software no longer recognized it as the same computer.

New mobo=new computer and it always has, so not specific to win 10**

But it did not used to be that you had to buy a whole new license for a software you had already purchased just because your computer changed. It used to be that if you purchased software, you got to use it on the computer or computers you owned. Period. I get that some degree of this is an attempt to combat piracy, but punishing the honest users for being honest will only convince more of them to either work with a different company or become pirates and have less hassle to deal with. This dictation of how many computers you're allowed to own (how many you're allowed to use software you purchase on) is less of an effective way to combat piracy and more of a money grab against the people who have the audacity to like Microsoft enough to use more than one of their machines.

Wait until Windows 10 does the exact same thing.  Its coming