So, Adobe is going to a subscription-only service that depends on Internet connectivity to keep the rented software working. No more CS shrinkwrap versions after the currrent CS6. (This is the standard set of software used by graphic artists and ad types worldwide). Fail to pay up? There's no way to open the files which you created. Future pricing? Who knows what it will be.
Personally, I think p*ssing off a huge group of energetic and highly creative people connected with mass media types is not a wise thing to do (recall the "buys ink by the barrel" quote).. but that aside, it's clearly an attractive business model for the bean counters, especially when you have a basically mature product line and little incentive for users to upgrade other than support of new hardware such as camera raw formats.
As far as immediate relevance to EEs, when EDA software such as keeps its libraries in the cloud, the software becomes significantly crippled if the connection or cloud data goes away for any reason, including inability or unwillingness to pay whatever the current subscription cost may be. Not quite as bad as what Adobe would have (yet), but still bad.
On a more general note..
What are people going to do when we become completely dependent on the presence of always-on networking if something ever goes wrong?
Net's down? Call someone? All the phones are VOIP Google a troubleshooting procedure? Ha. Look up the manuals online? Nobody has printed manuals anymore.
argh!