Damage control for a subscription mouse is here.
Logitech
What if you used one mouse all your life, without worrying about it breaking? Logitech thinks it's a fantastic concept. The catch? You guessed it, this lifetime support requires a fee.
Not so long ago, Logitech's CEO Hanneke Faber told The Verge about a "forever mouse," which you buy once and periodically upgrade with new software features. Faber seemingly tried to avoid talking about the paid implications of such a device but eventually admitted she sees it as a subscription mouse.
"So you pay a subscription for software updates to your mouse," clarified The Verge's editor-in-chief Nilay Patel.
"Yeah, and you never have to worry about it again, which is not unlike our video conferencing services today," replied Faber.
She compared the mouse to an expensive watch: "I’m not planning to throw that watch away ever. So why would I be throwing my mouse or my keyboard away if it’s a fantastic-quality, well-designed, software-enabled mouse? The forever mouse is one of the things that we’d like to get to."
The main issue of any mouse today is it breaking, not some software changes, so I'm not sure how this device is supposed to work "forever." Whatever the case, people didn't take this concept well.
"What mouse software feature could possibly be worth being billed endlessly? I set my DPI settings once when I purchase a mouse then never look at it again," said one PC Gamer reader.
"A subscription service for something that already lasts for years, even if you buy the cheap no-name stuff from the nearest supermarket? Again we have a tech company coming up with a solution then trying to find a problem where it'd fit," added another.
But wait before you start typing a furious comment: apparently, Logitech has "no plans for a subscription mouse," as it told The Verge after the news spread. Well, after such feedback, I hope the company did shelve the idea, at least until we aren't at the point of paying for air every month.
How much would you give for the forever mouse? Find out more here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.