Re: I have a hard time understanding that one



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Posted by Ross-O on May 18, 2005 at 19:42:06:

In Reply to: I have a hard time understanding that one posted by Elaine on May 18, 2005 at 14:18:45:

Almost all professional software is installed on a "per CPU" basis instead of a "per user" basis. Activation is here to stay and nearly all professional software packages will be using it in the next year or so.

Most activation schemes are based on FlexLM. There are lots of cracks available on the net. One of my friends downloaded a copy of Photoshop CS along with the crack within hours of the release on Usenet. He reports that it works wonderfully on an infinite number of machines (crooked bastard). You always have that option.

Software licensing is extremely complex. What if your partner decides to use Photoshop in the den while you're using it in the living room? Should you have to yell across the house to make sure no one is violating the EULA every time someone fires up PS? Do you want to set up a license server to manage 1 concurrent license?

Some companies monitor activation but don't enforce. My employer is one of these. If we notice that the same copy of software has been installed on 4 computers in 2 months it's no big deal. If we notice that 300 machines in Asia are trying to activate in a 4 hour period then we know that something is up and nullify that serial number.

Other companies allow a finite number of activations before putting a person in the loop to make sure no foul play is happening. Allowing 2-3 installations is considered more than fair for professional software packages.

Software companies are not out to screw you (well, Microsoft maybe, but that's a whole different arguement). It's true that they're trying to make money and charge what the market will bear, just as we all do with our skill sets and salaries, but most SW companies honestly try to deliver a solid product for the money!

For every person who complains that the software requires more power than their old machine has, there are 5 other power users who can't wait to load up the latest software on their high end machines and solve problems that were not possible with last year's tools.

Much of your frustration is coming from the fact that you're using a professional tool on a hobby budget. I run into the same problem all the time.

Ross-O


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