I don't have to justify to anyone if or why I use or buy/rent a program - Similar to Oldie 1950 says, my Windows install is quite complex & takes over 2 days to install & setup over 50 none MS programs for music/ photography etc - Obviously some users have a very simple setup & maybe don't really need to image, but the thought that anyone needs justification or permission to buy/rent etc a program is really no-ones business. If you don''t like Macriums model go elsewhere, simple as that.
Your perspective is 100% consumerist. In that world, consumers can do whatever they want. It's your money. You can waste it however you wish or as you think justified.
I did not say that you nor anyone else needs permission to use Macrium. Carefully re-read what I said. Your interpretation of what I posted is your own and not what I said.
Everything in IT always needs to be justified based upon cost and need. This is a basic principle of IT. A cost-benefit analysis. Most people do it in every part of their life without ever thinking about it.
The cost of Macrium versus the need for the vast majority of home users that buy it, make it a waste of money. Lots of Macrium users have stated this on the Macrium forums. They have also complained about how expensive it is relative to what they get. That is why so many home users opted for the free version. It cost $0 and provided them with a reliable solution that did what they needed it to do - as opposed to the paid version with a huge number of unneeded features. The $0 cost, feature limited version made perfect sense for what consumers were using the product for (e.g. backing-up their 2 TB porn collection).
The fundamental issue surrounding Macrium is that it phased-out the free version which made sense for many, to an expensive subscription model that is irrational (makes no sense; is not cost-justified) for most home users. That user base has been asking for a low-cost, basic feature version for the past 20 years. Macrium is not going to do it. It would rather switch over to its expensive annual subscription model and lose a significant number of users, who were willing to pay for a version that made economic sense.
Again, it is your money, if you want to pay $49 USD per seat per year for it, then isn't it wonderful for you that you can waste your money that way? On the other hand you might have a real need for it. Very few consumers do need all the bells and whistles. That is why those users have been complaining about the cost of the subscription.
