I've managed to avoid it all these years. And my PC is once again iLock free.
I did avoid it for many years...but a few years back finally hit on some stuff that had only iLok capable activation, so I bit the bullet...and TBH, maybe because I waited so long to try it, by then iLok sorted out all the shit issues people complained about in the early versions, but I've not had any problems with it overall, and I have a good number of things on iLok.
The only thing that kinda sucks is I don't buy stuff that requires iLok too often, and some that use to, got away from it...so when I have to use iLok to activate, my iLok manager software always needs an update, since it's always been awhile, and a few times it took a couple of tries for it to recognize my iLok dongle...but really, it's been hassle free. Still, when I have to option to use it or not...I'll go with not.
I'm not an iZotope user. I demoed a few of their things, and never like their GUIs...always found them way too dark-n-gloomy, but mostly it's because I already have better plugs than what they offer, so I didn't need to double up. Not saying their stuff is crap...I just like my other plugs better that do pretty much what you can get from iZotope.
Meh...maybe I'll have to check it out again...though at some point, too many plugs becomes a bad thing.
I just happened to get the email from my Sweetwater guy...so I though I would pass it on to anyone that needs some free plugs.