I am all for getting rid of the dongle. I know a lot of people are annoyed with it and how easily it can be lost. I also see Avid's need to maintain control over where their software is installed. While I agree that the software activation solves both these issues, I would like to bring up this concern:

Avid's new Software Activation needs to be tweaked

Like most of the editors that shell out the 3k to buy Media Composer Software, I have 3 systems, one at work, one at home and one I travel with (laptop). Now my work system is usually an Avid. Which is why I bought MCsoft to have in the other 2 locations I need to use Avid software. At home for when I am doing a smaller single bay project. Or on my laptop when a client would like me to travel to their location. With a dongle this is easier than pie. Just pull it out of my tower, plug it into my laptop and I am legit and ready to go. With Avid's new software activation I will only be allowed to have the software functioning on one of these systems. Now I can see that for the cost of the software Avid wants me to only be able to use it on one machine at a time. But I cannot justify buying two licenses when I'm not using both at the same time. Something has to be done to fix this issue... I suggest 2 activations with some form of network checking to make sure the software isn't running on the same network at the same time. Most other major software companies like Adobe and Maxon already allow for this. 

MAKING THESE LIMITATIONS ONLY HURTS THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY PAY FOR YOUR SOFTWARE!

Side thoughts: I'm a big fan of the Avid. I shun FCP all the time for it. Very excited to see Avid FX make it to the Mac. Glad I will be able to install Pro Tools 8 on the same machine at the same time with 3.5 though Pro Tools needs to build in the DV toolkit to be fully useful to me. If Avid would get a DVD authoring/Blu ray authoring package for the Mac with this bundle I would never need to install FCP Studio again. 

Hi,

evilschultz:

But I cannot justify buying two licenses when I'm not using both at the same time.

You don't have to.  You can install on as many machines as you like.  You'll activate the software on whichever one you want to use, and deactivate it when you want to move to another machine, where you will then activate it until you're ready to move again.

good luck,
Carl

camoscato:

You can install on as many machines as you like.  You'll activate the software on whichever one you want to use, and deactivate it when you want to move to another machine, where you will then activate it until you're ready to move again.

In these financial times pay the bright minds at Avid to fix whats broke not what isnt!!

Don't shoot the messenger, Andrew; I didn't build the stupid thing.   I was just pointing out that you don't have to buy a license for every installation, as the OP seemed to think.

More information about software activation can be found at www.avid.com/go.

good luck,
Carl

I also see the deactivation/activation process as somewhat cumbersome, especially in situations where the Avid comptuer doesn't have internet access. Where I worked previously there was one dongle that was pretty much floating between 4-5 computers. Having to ensure it's deactivated from one before activating another could be a real pain.

Not a huge issue for me now as where I work now we have dedicated licenses for all the edit suites, but many other places I've worked make good use of the dongle - something I've always thought was actually a 'Pro' for Avid.

I couldn't agree with evilschultz more.  This needs to be addressed.  I don't see why now after all this time I would need to purchase a new license for each machine I choose to edit on.  I too spurn FCP in favor of my favorite editing system, and see that this issue needs a different resolution than the one that is currently on the table.  Cheers to evilschultz for bringing this to my attention.  

Got to voice it with some others here... I agree that the switch to software/internet activation is a bad move. Not for the same reasons as the above users though... Understandably I could download the cracked version of the software - which I believe the last version of the crack was XProHD 5.0 (which unlocked to all versions of Avid available at that time) - but now Avid are making it easier for those who wish to crack (especially in releasing a trial version) the software. Those who use a hardware key, at least gave them 2nd thoughts (even though it never stopped them).

This is, indeed, a sorry day - you think it was bad (in the forums) when the original cracked version hit the net... just wait for this one. Now we'll have no clue who has what... let the dam bust.

It saddens me to see Avid essentially fix something that ain't broke.  While I sympathise with the idea that some people have a distaste for dongles (or the much more impressive ilok), in practice it is very useful to tailor your work experience as such.  While the possibility of loosing small hardware looms large, and the loss of a USB port can be annoying, the benefit of bringing your pro tools (or avid) with you not only helps with work flow, but with proper immagination (on avid's side) having a phisical plug to activiate your system could lead to other potentialities (such as having your dongle carry your user settings, project settings etc).  If all avid wanted to do was "please" their customers by not making them plug in a USB key (oh the horror), a wireless solution would've been just as acceptable (imagine an iphone app with all your settings and codes).  I suspect this strategy was enacted to specifically push the amount of liscenses sold to help out a lagging bottom line.  For a company with a lagging profit margin, this is one way to ailienate customers who have long paid the avid premium, regardless of performance.

MCahill:

I don't see why now after all this time I would need to purchase a new license for each machine I choose to edit on.

You don't.  You deactive one machine and activate the other one.  Just like moving a dongle from one to the other.

The merits and pitfalls of activation are certainly worth arguing, though stating that you have to buy a new license for every machine is a fallacy.  You only need to do that if you want to run the software concurrently on two seperate machines (like now--you need two dongles).

Michael

I'm not the biggest fan of losing my dongle either but I do want to clarify one point.

You do NOT have to have your computer connected to the internet to authorize your system. It can be done from any computer (I've done it with my iPhone) or you can  even call into Avid to have it done over the phone.

The internet method is very fast and very solid. Much better than Adobe's. Can't speak to the phone method as I haven't done it.

[EDIT] I was wrong about the De-Authorizing part. you do have to be connected to the internet to De-Authorize currently. That may change in the future, as soon as Avid can make sure that it is absolutely secure to do so.

I've read all of these arguements and there are some great minds that read these forums. Thank you all for the healthy debate on this. At lunch today with another editor friend of mine I think a better solution presented itself:

Avid allow me to spend $25 to buy a usb dongle and software activate to that so I can retain my usability. Allow me to deactivate it and activate an individual machine just as easily. I have no doubt that BLKDOG is 100% right in it's ease to reactivate BUT there will come a time when I am driving to set, I haven't deactivated my tower and activated my laptop, I will call Avid (on my bluetooth headset of course) to switch it, since I will need to hit the ground running when I get there, and I'll be on hold for 45 mins waiting to do so. Or my iPhone will only have a slow edge connection and I waste 20 mins trying to get it done. Allow those of us that want a dongle past this version to buy one cheap and activate it the same way I would activate a computer. Even as I have been writing this response I can even see the positive of this ability. Say I forgot my dongle in my tower and I have no choice but wait on the phone for 45 mins. Well at least I had that option. And then I can reactivate the dongle when I get home. 

BLKDOG:

It can be done from any computer (I've done it with my iPhone) or you can  even call into Avid to have it done over the phone.

Employees leaving here could with Avid software on their laptops (Using the same name as mine when they install it presumably) could withan internet connection or iphone call have deactivated my software and activated theirs?  I'm with Solopost on this it seems like a short sighted, one eyed invitation to piracy to me.

Quietly I wouldn't be surprised if the possability of making it a little easier to pirate wasn't actually weighed up on the 'plus' side. A very senior person from Adobe in this part of the world once said that they credited piracy has having a massive part in the sucess of Photoshop over lesser-priced alternative like Paint Shop Pro and Corel.

The reason that every kid with a Mac knows how to use Final Cut Pro is that it's incredibly easy to pirate it. Same goes for Vegas and Premiere in Windows. Cracked Avid software exists as well, but is never the bleeding edge (3.0 is the latest I've seen).

The dongle does get a bit of flack, but I think when you use it as many of us clearly do then the benefit is clear. My lack of comfort with software activation has a lot to do with Windows XP - where for a while, despite having two spare XP Pro licences, I was using a cracked one because it became a huge pain to reauthorise after I kept messing with my hardware.

I'm sure Avid has put good thought into the usage profiles of their users and I trust that the authorisation process will be simple and straightforward, but even then there will be the one time when you really need it to work and it all conspires against you.

I too would spend money on an ilok type solution, but I would spend a premium on out of the box type thinking involving activations that make out work flow easier instead of harder.  Nobody should be forced to stay on hold to transfer an activation for even five minutes, much less 45. I myself am looking forward to listening to the official Avid line on this at NAB.

As many of you know from the sister thread on this subject, I also do and will always prefer to stay with the dongle. As streamlined as Avid has tried to make the activation code process to be, there are just IMO too many potential "gotcha's" for me to be comfortable with when you're under time pressure or dealing with a crappy producer breathing down your neck. Again, considering the concept of "New Thinking" and "Listening to our customers", where and who were the focus group of customers sounding off on this proposition? I know I was never contacted to express an opinion. Or is this yet another "let's kill the weightlifter" call ? Like others have said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I certainly hope Avid corporate re-thinks this decision and gives the customer the option to choose. Please do not discontinue the dongle.

I swear this kind of thing happens to me so much in everyday life that I want my epitaph to read:

Here lies Larry Rubin...he was discontinued.