I’m confused. Most of your post is about $599/yr vs $1299 or $2599 but then you wrap up with the $400/yr comparison.
Regardless, for all the folks who are not using all of the new convergence tools but had the option before to bypass upgrades they didn’t see value in, they’re stuck on the subscription checkbook dip.
My sons are professional graphic artists, use the suite 10+ hours a day (I tell them they should balance work better but I’m just the dad 
) and they’re cranky about the subscription model. It’s a matter of choices being taken away that they value.
But some embrace the model and it’s good for them. Everyone has to decide what makes sense for themselves. In the context of the Glowforge, the consensus (except for a lone voice in the wilds of Texas 
) so far seems to be that a subscription model isn’t something the customers find value in.