I don’t like the subscription licensing model or the web version, but I do understand TANSTAAFL (there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch). People always get quite upset when asked to pay for something they are used to getting without paying (note: I didn’t write “for free”).
When Google owned SketchUp, they gave it away for free because it was a means to draw users to their overall environment in which they make a ton of money gathering and selling info about you to advertisers. They didn’t need revenue from sale of SketchUp licenses to support the business. Even so, they were reportedly very tight-fisted with funding for SketchUp development.
Trimble has no such ulterior motive. They can hope that if you like a free version you will decide to license a pay version of SketchUp, but in the mean time they are actually losing money on you. They pay developers yet get nothing back. And if you want a contrasting business model, consider the “pro-grade” CAD apps that cost thousands per year per seat!
If you can find something that is truly free with no hidden costs, by all means go for it. But please don’t slam Trimble for not wanting to starve.