A power drill is my favorite analogy. If I drilled holes once every 18 months, I’d gladly rent from Home Depot. If I found myself doing a weekend project every month, I want to own a drill. That drill comes with the expectation that it has an 18-24 month warranty (support cycle) and if my power outlet (OS) doesn’t change after that, I expect the current drill (current version) to keep working, essentially, until the hardware dies. However, I do not expect Milwaukee to add a light or whatever new feature to the drill, or change the plug if my outlet changes. After that 18-24 month period, I expect that new features, breakage, etc will mean I buy a new drill.

I know it is an imperfect metaphor, but it helps get my point across that valuing ownership doesn’t make someone cheap. It makes them unwilling to lease software.