iLok 2 vs eLicenser?

[aMUSEd]

I don't want this to turn into an anti dongle thread, I'm just wondering whether iLok 2 has actually become more user friendly than eLicenser now. My main concern with dongles has always been what happens if the device itself fails? While most devs seem willing to let people have another license that isn't the case for all, and even if they do it's a huge pain to have to go cap in hand to each company and ask for a replacement. As far as I can tell iLok licenses are stored on the device but also maintained in the cloud in an online database managed by PACE. Does that mean if a physical iLok dies you can just download the licenses again to a new one? If so then perhaps Pace has won the dongle wars because elicenser has nothing like that?

[Daags]

I don't want this to turn into an anti dongle thread, I'm just wondering whether iLok 2 has actually become more user friendly than eLicenser now. My main concern with dongles has always been what happens if the device itself fails? While most devs seem willing to let people have another license that isn't the case for all, and even if they do it's a huge pain to have to go cap in hand to each company and ask for a replacement. As far as I can tell iLok licenses are stored on the device but also maintained in the cloud in an online database managed by PACE. Does that mean if a physical iLok dies you can just download the licenses again to a new one? If so then perhaps Pace has won the dongle wars because elicenser has nothing like that?

Cap in hand applies to C/R too ... and C/R authorisations fail easier in my experience, not to mention upgrading components in your machine or indeed changing the machine entire... factor in multiple OS's and you'll have your cap in your hand frequently enough.

anyway.

My impression of a dongle failure is this: if it's broken/failed ... I believe you return it, so elicenser/ilok can confirm. If it's stolen...I think you simply just say it's been stolen. Not sure if they want a police report.

As far as the devs re-issuing licenses, I haven't heard of a dev denying someone a replacement authorisation. Does that happen ? I have however heard of devs replacing licenses with no more effort required of the end-user than what you might need to do when requesting more authorisations for a C/R protected software i.e email making the request, perhaps with an explanation as to why it's needed. ilok have something called 'zero downtime' ...a kind of insurance policy. but from my understanding that's for pros who absolutely can not risk being without their plugins, so in the event of a fail or burglarly they can be up & running with their ilok'd stuff with the utmost of expedience. for all other mere mortals, you can still get your licenses back...just slower. at least that's my understanding.

as far as your comments about clouds etc... I use both elicenser and ilok (1 ...and now 2 + license manager), and they very much appear to work the same way. as in, yes the licenses are on your dongle but there seems to be a database on their end too.


so basically, in terms of usability, and since ilok2 and the ilok license manager (which is pretty much the ilok version of the elicenser manager) - they are for all intents and purposes equal in terms of usability. if you take out a ZeroDownTime policy with ilok2 perhaps that is more user friendly in the event of a disaster - but you'll pay for that kind of super-fast response.


not sure if it counts towards user friendliness, but the issue of license transfers might be worth considering. I've just spent 100 euros transferring ilok licenses to two people. if you find yourself needing to sell some ilok'd stuff, you should be prepared to take a significant sting in your pocket. elicenser on the other hand is free...but the license transfer must be done from your machine, to a dongle, to the new users machine/dongle. So, this will cost you the price of posting the same dongle each way ... or the cost of a new dongle to sell with the license. At least the dongle has some kind of physical value... neither I, nor the buyers, have anything to show for the 100 euro pace charged to facilitate the transfers - other than the privilege of being allowed to buy/sell the license in the first place.

also - pace want that transfer money even if you would physically transfer the license yourself from ilok to ilok. and I just discovered lately that even the iloks themselves get tied to your account after a few days of first assigning them to your account. I'm still researching that topic to see if it can be 'released' if you've removed all licenses from the account.

[aMUSEd]

That's a good point about the licenses transfer cost, yes that is an additional burden, I guess the difference is that with iLok they mediate the process themselves while with elicesner you do it yourself. I'm not sure about elicenses being in the cloud though, as far as I can see they are only on your dongle and in the records of the company that sold it to you, there is no central online repository like iLok has, except for Steinberg's own products, which appear to be backed up on the mySteinberg website and get updated when you sync your dongle to your account.

[jancivil]

don't have iLok 2. I think the SNAFU was sorted.
But my iLok 1 has never caused an issue of any sort, no exaggeration, never.
Occasionally I have had to deal with E-licenser. When I stuck with Snow Leopard and there was no more updating of their software for it, interestingly enough the particular things I had to contend with stopped. Now with OS10.8.5 I found I had to update it because I was seeing failure to acknowledge the licenses.
I never have a glitch with NI's C/R and haven't for over a decade. But I prefer dongles. I broke one which should have stopped the show but both Steiny and VSL were so responsive it did not, I was sorted inside a day.

[trusampler]

I have two iloks, I wanted to transfer a few licenses between the two.And they're trying to tell me, I have to pay them a fee of $25 to do it.

Point being elicenser is much better, ilok are dead wrong for this. I'll never buy another ilok product because of this issue.

The ilok dongles costed me $49 a piece, pace are greedy bastards. I refuse to support a company like that,ever again.

[masterhiggins]

I have two iloks, I wanted to transfer a few licenses between the two.And they're trying to tell me, I have to pay them a fee of $25 to do it.

Point being elicenser is much better, ilok are dead wrong for this. I'll never buy another ilok product because of this issue.

That didn't sound right. You mean you have 2 different accounts? They might think their fee is trying to be circumvented. It's a bit weird to have 2 different accounts.

Every elicenser company I've asked says they'll give you another authorization in the event that there's a failure of loss/theft with proof of purchase. However, with ilok, pace won't do anything to help you either. You're at the mercy of the developer.

I was following the recent cytomic thread and the new cp proposed by Andy seems pretty restrictive, much more so than dongle anyway. Authorization limits are complete bulkshit considering how often one may need to have logic boards or other components replaced, especially if there's no way to retract a prior authorization. I've never had a single elicenser affected by a system configuration change.

[trusampler]

I have two iloks, I wanted to transfer a few licenses between the two.And they're trying to tell me, I have to pay them a fee of $25 to do it.

Point being elicenser is much better, ilok are dead wrong for this. I'll never buy another ilok product because of this issue.

That didn't sound right. You mean you have 2 different accounts? They might think their fee is trying to be circumvented. It's a bit weird to have 2 different accounts.

Every elicenser company I've asked says they'll give you another authorization in the event that there's a failure of loss/theft with proof of purchase. However, with ilok, pace won't do anything to help you either. You're at the mercy of the developer.

I was following the recent cytomic thread and the new cp proposed by Andy seems pretty restrictive, much more so than dongle anyway. Authorization limits are complete bulkshit considering how often one may need to have logic boards or other components replaced, especially if there's no way to retract a prior authorization. I've never had a single elicenser affected by a system configuration change.

Yes over the last 5 or 6 years I had created two accounts,but when they asked for proof of the emails to prove I am the owner of both,they ask this, as well as proof of the ilok id, which is a code on the dongle itself, they still asked for $25 for the transfer.

I asked them if I could simply consolidate the two iloks under my name, they asked for $25! They know I'm the owner, yet greed says they need more money.

My point being if this is how they play then it's simply not a company I'll support. elicenser is much more flexible, as I don't have this sort of issue, and I can freely manage the licenses between the dongle to my choice, if I sell or add a new license etc.

[Daags]

I was following the recent cytomic thread and the new cp proposed by Andy seems pretty restrictive, much more so than dongle anyway. Authorization limits are complete bulkshit considering how often one may need to have logic boards or other components replaced, especially if there's no way to retract a prior authorization. I've never had a single elicenser affected by a system configuration change.

Agreed and experienced.

Better check the cytomic thread (it's the big one in the effects section, right?) on this topic...I haven't read about his new CP plans.



about trusampler's experience...

it's true. well, the physical iloks themselves are tied to your personal account (well, tied after a few days of usage with that account. they 'generously' give you a few days grace period before the ilok ties to the account on the off-chance you might need to return it to a retailer for one reason or another). so, I have an ilok1 and an ilok2 ...so it's true that I can pass a license from one to the other, no fee. But say I want to transfer a license to another user, and I have their ilok on me .... that's when pace intervenes and says 'naaw homie, i'mma need that twenny fi dollas yo'

it's definitely a big fail in comparison to the elicenser experience which certainlys wins out on the user-friendliness aspect in this area.