Every Macbook/Mac Pro should come with a free developer account that remains active as long as the purchaser of the machine is using the laptop. Doing so would further distinguish “pro” from non-pro machines, would make notarization less like an annual tax, and would thus encourage rather than discourage such malware-free certifications.

That said, I agree with the article’s author that devs should be free to distribute whatever they want without warnings and without having to update annually. Not every piece of software gets maintained but it can still be useful, especially for artistic works. Let the App Store be the place where Apple certifies safety and leave the rest to the user.