Or, can't she just finance the $1000 purchase and pay in installments (most CC will allow you to do that), and do the same upon next interestingly enough release, IF she wishes so?

As to the subscription model, I agree that it makes sense for Adobe. I honestly still don't see how it makes sense for customers, though.

Aside from the disadvantages that every one disliking the model pointed out in these days:
- Having to repeatedly pay >>to retain access<< (not to upgrade!)
- The need to occasionally connect to the internet to use the software. I understand that that is once every month or so, but still there are unfortunate events where that can be annoying.
- Dependence on future Adobe's pricing. what if they increase the price beyond what is acceptable to you?

there's something more that worries me. Unless I am misunderstanding something, you also depend on Adobe's software design evolution.

What if they come up with a new version that changes in a non-desirable way to you? Are you being forced to specific learning paths (and curves) even when you don't want to? I usually am curious and happy to test and learn new GUI or software paradigms, but many are not (rightfully so).

We had issues, in the office, when migrating hundreds of machines from Windows XP to Windows 7, because an (admittedly small) percentage of users would not "find what they needed" and call tech support, >>in spite of documentation that circulated<<.
Half the internet is criticizing Windows 8 Start Screen, an all around improved app launcher, over the horrible (to me) Start Menu which was obsolete 5 years ago with Vista, or the replacement of a start button with an easier to reach catch-all corner. While to me this makes virtually NO sense in any way, many people, probably the majority out there, see things differently. And they are "right" in seeing what they see.

Where I work, I can only imagine what would happen if the few offices using CS 5.5 saw their familiar GUI change in ways they can't get/don't want to get. If such change is an unavoidable part of the licensing model, I see little/irrelevant benefits, big/significant problems.