No More Dongle Key

[fozzyber]

When I talked to a sales rep, 2 weeks ago, about some issues with flexi, one of the things he said was SAi the (parent company of Flexi) had a few "bad quarters" I have to wonder if some of these changes or in response to that. The stupid thing about it is big companies like SAi think backwards, instead of making a better product that more people buy, they figure out how to get more money from the customers they already have by the balls.

Sad really,

 

[schurms]

Flexi is a joke, why do you think they where sold. Why are they having money issues now...............

 

[onesource]

I got screwed by the early casmate era, ordered the software no dongle in the box and they would not send me a dongle unless I sent them mine wich I did not have so I cracked it and used it for a short time. The program sucked, I ordered winplot and used that for several years. I was apprehensive about spending a large amount on any software due to the first experience with cas.

 

[Service Sign Co]

Gerber got me, I guess I will always use Gerber. I have no need for a RIP at this time, as a secondary solution to output, I ocassionaly use Flexi. allthough I will never upgrade it, Guess that means hitting the books and learning more with Illustrator & Photoshop

 

[stickerguynyc]

yes everything is crackable.. i paid thousand for my flexisign 7.5... and also got a craked version for way cheaper that my original one...

somebody was offer me a cracked version of flexisign 8.0 but didn't get it since i don't like it...

 

[Service Sign Co]

Not a good idea to advertise user # 1

 

[Techman]

yes everything is crackable.

You all are missing the message. There will be nothing to crack. There will not be software on your machine to crack. The software will be on a main server and you access it via the internet. It will do all the work on their server...

If they are smart, they will allow you to access it from anywhere. no need for dongle or cracks.

 

[Service Sign Co]

And they just added the last nail to the coffin bye-bye

 

[Steve C.]

I would think that this is the way of the future for software use. Either
use it via internet or not at all.

 

[Service Sign Co]

We have never had a problem before, They will soon realize the huge mistake they are making. Perhaps it will be too late. Buy the way, Open Office has allready saved me many hours with the usual dumb-ass files like Excel,Word,PPT,etc. SAI Get a clue

 

[fozzyber]

Open Office ROCKS!!!! Between that and Google software!!!!

If you have never seen open office, take a look, it is well worth the time you spend, MS Office install = 2+ gigs, Open Office under 300 megs.

MS office, can you say bloated!!!

 

[mark in tx]

Will this be a one time authentication?
Will it be everytime the application starts?

Either way, my production RIP computer is not going to be connected to the internet.

Ever.

Is Scanvec Amiable going to pay for the internet connection?
Are they going to pay for a firewall?
Virus protection?
Spyware protection?
Additional infrastructure in my shop?

Time to start looking at Onyx.

 

[Lunatic Taskbar]

It certainly doesn't seem like its been thought all the way through!!!! How long will it be till were saying Poor Flexi do you remember them!!!

 

[os101king]

This is the beginning of the subscription system. It won't be much longer when they will just give you a stub of software and every thing else is run from their central server. Why will it goto a stub concept? Because a reverser will simply to override the server check as they have with all other server check softwares around. Why will he override it? because of the challenge.

This system is good for flexi because no more worries about hacked softs. They will sell it as a monthly charge where they simply keep updating the software on the fly. If you ever have a complaint and do not pay even though you are right they will shut off your access. If their servers are loaded, which is a fact that it will happen your access will be slow. If you are multitasking your access will be slow. If their sudden update doesn't work on your system you will be down. Think not? just look at when M$ does an update now and see how many ppl lose production time.

If certain internet providers have their way,,this will become the realm of the rich because the average guy will not have the resources to pay for full time high priority internet access. We will get 3rd priority which means measured and throttled access. Measured means just like the old days when Compuserve charged you for a download by the bit even if your download failed at the 99% point. Throttled means if level 1 wants to use the pipes your speed will fall to whatever they give you.

As far as cheaper because no one can steal it? Never no way not in the books not even on this planet.
Intuit is a prime example. Quicken was a locked software. It was sold as a high priced premium software used by a very small segment. (sound familiar) Yes, it was high priced and hard to get.

One day (version 3) they realized this mistake and unlocked their software and sold it for about $60 bux. No more copy protection. As most of us know that software took off and became one of the most popular and well sold products around. Every one bought their own copy.

The above mentioned paranoia is real. IF their system is down or yours is down you are piped. You think it doesn't go down? mine goes down all the time.

I already tried this system long ago with another vendor with a customer data base system. They tried to hold my data hostage even though they were dead wrong.
Subscription services?? Never ever again.

yep. i see that coming. glad I have my dongle dangling happliy.

hmm. anyone remember the rules of a haiku? i think i was close.

 

[GK]

its when big companies get greedy and try to pull this, that the 16 yr old HS student with the same tech. know-how becomes rich because he doesn't care about subscriptions at that point =P

 

[Jackpine]

My design/RIP computer is not going to be connected to the internet.....not ever!

 

[Lunatic Taskbar]

Its all so sad that its coming down to this. I agree make the software more accessible and people will purchase it!

 

[Matthew Scher]

It is true that Flexi 8.5 can be used without a dongle, but there seems to be some confusion about how it works.

First, you can order it with a dongle if you like, and if you already have Flexi 8, then you keep your dongle and 8.5 will use that.

The dongle-less version is called "softkey" and uses your PC as the dongle. On first launch, it will connect to the internet, then it will connect once a month. So as long as you are connected to the internet at least monthy, it will continue to operate without any errors.

We have no intention of having a server verison of Flexi that you access with a web client. Flexi runs on your local machine, using your RAM and processor. It will only connect to our server to verify the softkey.

The softkey can be moved from system to system - very simular to how it is done in CS2 and CS3. In the help menu is a command called transfer license that will allow you to move it to another PC (you can move it as often as you like - but to transfer also requires an internet connection)

Lets say your PC is lost, stolen, or dies. No problem. We will issue you a new softkey by calling customer service.

The goal is to make the software protection less of a burden, not to put any burden on you. There are certainly some shops that have no internet connection - and those can order the hard key option.

 

[fozzyber]

So if SAi closes its doors, burns down, gets hit by an airplane, data lines pulled, flooded, what ever.. Any "softkey" users will only have up to 30 days before product is no longer usable? and will be stuck with the computer it is on for that time.
Is the next step of this process to require every one to have a support contract? and if you don't have a contract your soft key will be denied?
Authorizing my software every 30 days is much more of a benefit to SAi
at the cost of hassle to the user.

 

[threeputt]

I am a firm believer that if I spent $3-4000 dollars on a program,
then I own that program and should be able to use it in any way
that I see fit . . . With the exclusion of redistribution of course.

Rep, you might think that way, but it's not so. The 3-4 thou only bought you a license to use the software. You don't own anything more than the disk itself, the tutorial, and the box it came in. Oh..and the dongle.

Others: Flexi doesn't sell as many copies of their sign-specific software as Illustrator and PhotoShop do. Simple rule of economy of scale. They have to bury all their costs into the projected number of sales they'll make. Illy and PS are used by nearly every designer, illustrator in the world, regardless of trade. Many of them print media. So making it really cheap to buy, as suggested, won't help them recoup their costs plus profits. Even if they were to cut their price in fourths. Then what, they have to sell four times as many copies? There simply isn't enough sign shops to make that viable.

Also, anyone that talks about cracking software doesn't have my respect. At all. Sure this software stuff is expensive. And my client's say my sign prices are too high, too. But if they tried to rip me off, I'd be hot. Sword cuts both ways, kids.