Now I Understand Why People Hate iLok

[Synthman2000]

iLok2 user for 7 years now. Not a single problem in that time.

Not suggesting it will never happen but certainly not more hassle than any other CPS thus far and I have benefitted from using that software in that time. I have no plan to stop.

You are responsible for your own housekeeping, no one else, it needs to be taken as seriously as buying the next new fandangled synth. Double-y so if you rely on them in a professional working context.

You don't have to use it, but you will be missing out of some of the best software ever made, again a choice you make personally. In the end you do what you need to.

[Teksonik]

The problem I have with it is paying extra to buy a dongle to protect someone else's intellectual property when the intellectual property I create with that same software can not be so protected.

When they start handing out free Dongles I'll be happy to use one. When a single dongle can authorize and manage every piece of software I own then I may support the concept.

Until then some of the best software out there does not require a dongle so I am missing nothing.

Let's be honest here, all forms of copy protection except perhaps a simple serial number that never expires are an inconvenience to honest paying customers. But it's one thing to be an inconvenience and yet another to be an added expense.

But just like when you purchase something from a store a certain amount of the price of that product is to make up for the loss from theft, the good will always be punished for the actions of the evil.

[ChamomileShark]

Not wishing to hijack this but...

should I uninstall the old version of iLok when it tells me there is a new version to install?

[fmr]

Not wishing to hijack this but...

should I uninstall the old version of iLok when it tells me there is a new version to install?

The installer takes care of all that, AFAIK.

[djanthonyw]

The people who have a chipper smile while they say "iLok is great!" remind me of the sheep who say "Taxation is the price we pay for a civilized society".

"Here ya go PACE / IRS, please take my money! Give me muh protection, and muh roads!".

Happy slaves.

[Teksonik]

Not wishing to hijack this but...

should I uninstall the old version of iLok when it tells me there is a new version to install?

The installer takes care of all that, AFAIK.

Or not..........

I once opened the iLok software license manager to add a new plugin and it told me an update to the manager was available so being someone who likes to keep all their software up to date I went ahead and installed the update. It broke access to all my existing plugins. So after much faffing about I had to find and install an older version of the iLok manager and it's worked fine since then. I've never allowed another update.

[chk071]

The people who have a chipper smile while they say "iLok is great!" remind me of the sheep who say "Taxation is the price we pay for a civilized society".

"Here ya go PACE / IRS, please take my money! Give me muh protection, and muh roads!".

Happy slaves.

I don't see anyone here saying "iLok is great!". Instead, i see a hoard of sheep always jumping on the same bandwagon, because they have something in general against copy protection, instead of judging iLok in a rational way, or out of experience. Seriously, if most people don't have an issue with iLok, and some people notoriously have issues with it, then i'd rather check what's wrong on their computers, than putting a general blame on this software, because, frankly, if it really was such a POS, which doesn't work at all, companies wouldn't protect their software with it. I'm frequenting some Windows support forums, and, in general, you can say that, in 95% of the cases, there's either an installed, or misconfigured software, or a misconfigured Windows the culprit, and that's user error. In threads like these, people don't argue rationally, they judge and act by stomach feeling. And that's bad, because humans are capable of so much more than that.

[Synthman2000]

Let's say you have 5 x iLok pieces of software that is about $8.00 per item, I just see it as part of the cost of the software. You are of course missing something, the software that is protected by iLok, there are no 2 ways about that.

Copyright applies to music as well, you can protect it. Just don't ever put it online.

As an iLok user I never feel "Oh drat, that excellent software is iLok only." That must be continually frustrating to be in that position. More so than using an iLok in my own experience so far.

It is a choice to limit your tools, I won't do that. In the grand scheme of things there are a thousand more worthy causes/objections to follow than a dongle.

But if you are happy and satisifed with your tools sans iLok, rock on !

[elxsound]

Not a fan of iLok, but I have to give credit where its due...

After buying a new computer... The easiest plugins to deal with installing/authorizing on the new system were the iLok protected plugins.

I have not installed anything IK on the new system and I think I might be okay with that.

[Teksonik]

Let's say you have 5 x iLok pieces of software that is about $8.00 per item, I just see it as part of the cost of the software.

I see it as an unnecessary expense. Brought on by developer's inability to out-code crackers

You are of course missing something, the software that is protected by iLok, there are no 2 ways about that.

Don't confuse "something" with "something I need". I have over 450 plugins on my studio computer and not one requires a dongle.

Once again just because software requires a dongle doesn't mean it's superior in any way to software that doesn't.

Copyright applies to music as well, you can protect it. Just don't ever put it online.

That's just silly. Software developers can protect their products by never releasing them too.

As an iLok user I never feel "Oh drat, that excellent software is iLok only." That must be continually frustrating to be in that position. More so than using an iLok in my own experience so far.

As an non iLok user I can honestly say there is not one piece of software I need that requires a dongle.

It is a choice to limit your tools, I won't do that.

I'm not limited in any way. I have every kind of plugin you could ever want or need.

There are a thousand more worthy objections to champion than a dongle.

Certainly like Climate Change or Income Inequality or......but that's not the focus of KVR. We're just a bunch of geeks trying to make music. We just want to do it with as little hassle and expense as possible.

[chk071]

Not a fan of iLok, but I have to give credit where its due...

After buying a new computer... The easiest plugins to deal with installing/authorizing on the new system were the iLok protected plugins.

I have not installed anything IK on the new system and I think I might be okay with that.

See, that's the typical statement i catch from people using iLok here. And, no, that doesn't translate to "iLok is great!!!". On the other hand, all i read from the people who are against iLok what a piece of crap it is, and that doomsday is near, and that noone should use it, and we should boycott it. Like some kind of religious cult, really.

[Teksonik]

I'm out of here. It's the same old arguments and no one will ever change the other's mind.

Lock the thread and let's move on..........

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

doomsday is near, and that noone should use it, and we should boycott it. Like some kind of religious cult, really.

The difference being that the iLokalypse was very real, pretty recent, and literally doomed some professionals to lose a hell of a lot of money, and nearly their entire livelihoods.

Let's just say that those that fear the act of putting all their 'eggs' in one basket have very real evidence that the pay-off of easy installation might not be worth it. iLok disaster has 'form'

[wagtunes]

Let's say you have 5 x iLok pieces of software that is about $8.00 per item, I just see it as part of the cost of the software.

I see it as an unnecessary expense. Brought on by developer's inability to out-code crackers

You are of course missing something, the software that is protected by iLok, there are no 2 ways about that.

Don't confuse "something" with "something I need". I have over 450 plugins on my studio computer and not one requires a dongle.

Once again just because software requires a dongle doesn't mean it's superior in any way to software that doesn't.

Copyright applies to music as well, you can protect it. Just don't ever put it online.

That's just silly. Software developers can protect their products by never releasing them too.

As an iLok user I never feel "Oh drat, that excellent software is iLok only." That must be continually frustrating to be in that position. More so than using an iLok in my own experience so far.

As an non iLok user I can honestly say there is not one piece of software I need that requires a dongle.

It is a choice to limit your tools, I won't do that.

I'm not limited in any way. I have every kind of plugin you could ever want or need.

There are a thousand more worthy objections to champion than a dongle.

Certainly like Climate Change or Income Inequality or......but that's not the focus of KVR. We're just a bunch of geeks trying to make music. We just want to do it with as little hassle and expense as possible.

While I agree with you, I'm just going to correct you on one thing.

YOU have every piece of software that YOU need without a dongle.

Vocaloid is without a doubt the most important piece of software I own outside of my DAW. There is no replacement for it. It requires iLok. Therefor I must use iLok.

I am happy that you are able to do without it.

Some of us truly do not have any other options.

[Synthman2000]

One should not confuse number of plug ins with quality either. I am not sure how someone determines themselves as not missing out when they are incapable of even demo'ing an iLok protected plug in, unless they are clairvoyant.

450 plug ins is many. Almost certainly an unnecessary expense.