iLok Vent

[bdam123]

So I'm planning on making a purchase of Slate Digital's Trigger. This will be the first software piece of software that I own that requires an iLok. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that manufacturers have to go to extra lengths to protect there products but to make the consumer pay for it is ridiculous. Why even sell the software without it if it requires one.

Also I understand that an I Lok will allow you to use the program on multiple computers but what if you only want to use it on one. Its already bad enough that most musicians are broke but to tax everyone cause you wanna make it harder for people to pirate your product is shitty.

Anyway, this is going to change anything just thought I would vent. Now where to find an extra $25 to pay for this stupid piece of plastic. I only got like 6 slot so I hope the rest of the software I plan on purchasing doesn't require these things.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Well, at least if the other software requires a key, you can use one key for all.

Not much consolation, but still.


I wonder how the community feels about using cracked software to get around the Ilok issue IF you've paid for it and own it.
<rant>
Carrying iloks around is such a pain in the ass.
I tried to set up a usb network hub so all my computers could have remote access to them (one at a time of course), but it wasn't compatible with snow leopard.

Screwed at every corner!!!
</rant>

 

[miroslav]

My DAW (Samplitude) in the later versions requires an activation dongle...similar to the ILok, plugs into the USB port, but it is proprietary to Samplitude.
There are other apps that use a proprietary dongle, and like Samplitude, you get the hardware dongle in the box with the software...you just need to activate it. Plus...these current Samplitude dongles are metal shell, not plastic, so they should last a long time.
I think Samplitude for its newest release is going to offer dongle or serial # activation options.

I kinda thought the ILok thing was a bit "scamy"...buy the app/plug...but oh, now you need to buy the ILok and get it registered. If you found it for $25...that's not bad. Most sites I checked are selling the ILok for $50!!!!
But yeah...with one ILok you can activate thousands of apps...and seeing how many software apps are going with the ILok (they don't have to provide dongles)...it's not the end of the world if you have to buy a single ILok.

 

[bdam123]

I've worked in a studio where there were like 5 different iLoks and not enough free USB ports. Super annoying. I just read that the new generation iLoks can hold something like 500 authorizations so I guess thats not too bad. Even if. I'm just annoyed cause I don't have an extra $25.

 

[dgatwood]

I have a policy in my studio that if a product requires iLok, I'll choose a competing product, and if there's no competing product, I'll write a competing product. I would encourage you to do the same. If enough people said "hell no" when asked to use a hardware dongle, the audio software companies would eventually pull their heads out of their you-know-whats and stop trying to force that crapware down everyone's throats. Pretty much the entire rest of the computing world abandoned copy protection more than a decade ago, with the exception of three fields: CAD, professional audio, and games. I think it's time we pressured those companies until that number was reduced to two. Just saying.

Copy protection doesn't work. It doesn't keep your software from being pirated. All it does is screw over your legitimate users when that dongle fails for whatever reason. Such policies are unethical, and any companies with such policies should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Copy protection doesn't work. It doesn't keep your software from being pirated. All it does is screw over your legitimate users when that dongle fails for whatever reason. Such policies are unethical, and any companies with such policies should be ashamed of themselves.

Your point is valid.
I contemplated 'Piracy' (having bought the software) to avoid the hassle of using, and potential damage to my iloks.

The very fact that piracy is even possible just proves that the ilok itself is a complete waste of time, and only serves to create problems for the legitimate paying customers.