Android 4.4.4 for HTC One (M8)

I suppose it is more lease-to-own than a pure lease program.

That is precisely why I typically only purchase HTC devices, as HTC will let you unlock their phones through their website. Though if ATT starts blocking this ability like Verizon does, I'll have no choice but to start buying unsubsidized devices, as there is no way I'm going to have a phone for at least a year with no root and no unlocked bootloader.

the thing to remember its not all att and htc or samsung for that matter.  Google is closing the holes in android so finding exploits is becoming harder and harder.  I have a nexus 6 for that reason.

Yes very true, but you can still 'fastboot oem unlock' any google device. I don't REALLY mind that they close the holes used to achieve S-OFF, as there are valid security reasons to do so. What does bother me is when carriers(or manufacturers, in the case of samsung) disable the ability to unlock the bootloader. There is a massive community around modding android, and in my mind, is a big part of why the platform is so successful, and it's primary advantage over iOS. As hard as google may try, no version of android is going to suit everyone's needs, so why not let them try something else? It is technically an open source project, after all.

Well I bit the bullet last night and paid for Sunshine to S-OFF my device and convert to the developer edition. I'm now happily running the lollipop version of Android Revolution HD, and waiting for a lollipop version of ViperOne. Thank you for your help everyone. I'm going to leave this thread open for awhile, as it seems to be the most active thread on AT&T forums about the 4.4.4 update for the M8.

Couple reports on XDA of receiving the 4.4.4 OTA this morning.

4.4.4 RUU has also been released, for those that can't get the OTA, or not patient enough to wait:

http://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-one-m8-att/news/

Backup your personal data before RUU, as RUU will wipe internal storage.