Hardware lock
- Thread starter lcguias
- Start date
the licence key is machine dependent.
the hardware lock is not. You will be able to use Alibre only if the hardware lock in plug in the back (LPT , USB )of the computer.
In this case you can have Alibre on 10 different machines but you can use only one.
In the same time you are independent.(from Alibre)
Right now I'm ready to change my systems (desktop and laptop) but I need new keys. I'm on hold until I get word from Alibre.!!
Hardware locks sucks and are often easier to crack than software.
At least with each software upgrade the cracker has to crack the code again.
Also imaging having to wait 2 weks for the key to be shipped.
Also quite expensive for AD to implement.
The idea sucks (sorry for being frank).
Kim
No problem,
I have some PLC software using hardlocks and are working good, as long you have the driver.
I asked for my perpetual licence and nothig.(this will be the 3rd week)
Looks like beside the fact they want to protect the software they want controll.
What realy gets me is that Alibre decided to punish everybody and not only the bad guys.!!
Dan
barrykingwill
Senior Member
In general I also like Hardware locks, and certainly would prefer it to the Algor Flexm Licence system, merely for portability in moving your licence to your home PC.
However, one can end up with multitudes of hardware locks. In the old days I had up to four parallel port locks in at the same time. I had to support them with a cardboard structure as they were sagging under their own weight, not to speak of the printer cable that still needed to be plugged into the end of it all. And then you start getting compatibility issues where the one lock does not like the presence of the other etc.
So I am not as hardware lock friendly as I was.
I would like a system whereby you can log off your licence via the internet, and then log back onto it from another location via the internet, so you just need two brief sessions of connectvity to move from one PC to another. Algor requires that the two PC's be connected to each other (via a LAN) which can be totally impractical (but is aimed at Notebook / PC transfers).
What happens if you decide not to update you AD License and your operating system gets upgraded and the HW lock is not compatible.
Or your new computer does not have a serial/parrall port as everything is USB or firewire.
Your software is down the drain.
It would be a brave company that introduces a hardware lock.
Cheers
Kim
Here in the UK Autocad (not LT) runs (or used to run) with a hardware lock.
In a medium size business these locks are hard to track. They go missing.
Clearly they are quite a useful bit of property for a draughtsman to have in his pocket (allegedly).
So after finding they were issueing lots of these dongles at a nominal price Autodesk in the UK decided that something dishonest might be happening - so they started to charge full licence cost for replacement keys.
To satidffy insurance requirements some companies then found they had to collect all the keys and lock them up at the end of each day - then each draffy had to sign for his key each morning. Lots of upset employees - lots of lost time.(were's talking AutoCAD so we'll call 'em draffies not designers!)
From what I read here the licencing for Alibre is a near "book like" as possible from alibre. The only issue is that you have to connect to them and get a response with each new installation. Also if you end your maintenence then you need another response from alibre to get non expiring key for your existing software version.
I can see that some users are nervous that they wll get this service when they are a "lost" customer to Alibre. It would also be worrying if Alibre became less successfull in the future and everyone is demanding non expiring keys. Alibre is a very low cost now but after a year or so the value of the legacy data is so large that we would have no choice but to pay whatever the price is to keep alibre going!
It would be better for my peace of mind if the licence I bought would run for a year and then continue to run after that but without access to updates or support even if Alibre vanished.
I have been sold down the river already by one CAD system that is now withdrawn from sale, but from what I see so far Alibre seem more trustworthy - and commercially astute enough to be very successful.
Moyesboy