Sure, as long as it works. Software has a tendency to stop working on newer OS:es or become subject to security exploits though.

Or more generally, anything that has a beginning has an end

That sounds good on paper, but the chances that someone else will pick up the ball if they abandon it, even if it’s open source, are very slim. If you care about keeping it alive then paying them is a more effective strategy than hoping for random volunteer work by internet strangers.

You, on the other hand, have good chances of being able to learn new tools. So I think the need for this security is exaggerated.

The IntelliJ products are not exactly “buy once” - if you want updated versions you need to keep paying periodically.

Not that I think that’s a bad thing necessarily - it doesn’t make sense to expect devs to continue working on something year after year when you’re not paying them for it.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

1. You have a cat.
2. You wish to remove its skin.
3. You realize there’s more than just one method to accomplish this unusual task.
4. You state this proudly as a metaphor for problem-solving flexibility.