Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.7 $; site uiucdcsb Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcsb!jabusch From: jabusch@uiucdcsb.Uiuc.ARPA Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: Re: software protection - dongles & Message-ID: <5100087@uiucdcsb> Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 19:29:00 EDT Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.5100087 Posted: Mon Jul 22 19:29:00 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 29-Jul-85 05:19:59 EDT References: <679@homxb.UUCP> Lines: 60 Nf-ID: #R:homxb.UUCP:-67900:uiucdcsb:5100087:000:3744 Nf-From: uiucdcsb.Uiuc.ARPA!jabusch Jul 22 18:29:00 1985 In response to frans at mcvax!philmds: Yes, I still have objections to dongles for some other reasons. I agree that making lots of copies is what you want to be able to do. I see no problems with dongles in this respect. However, on a different tack, there is a growing trend for multi- tasking software which does work well on some of the higher-speed micros. This type of environment is useless with dongles if you have to keep swap- ping them in and out. This has effectively gotten us no further than the key floppy, which must also be swapped in and out. Another good point here is that swapping dongles means that you have to have them with you, which means that portable computer owners have to carry around a bunch of small parts, which is hardly desireable. Can you see the effects of dropping some small dongle on a trip out of town? The point of having a backup dongle is different from a backup PC. If you buy a particular type of personal computer, hopefully you will ensure that it can be serviced somewhere nearby and in reasonable time. I have had PC's worked on (I won't say what brand) and they always come back within a day and a half. Tell me a dongle can be replaced that quickly. US Snail has its reputation to uphold! One of the major problems with software is that there is not always a rep in your area. That means that you have to wait through incredible delays occasionally. How many of you out there have had this happen? Also, how many of you out there have had a bad experience with one of the more well-known software vendors? I don't think that it's necessary to respond to those questions, I just wanted to strike home. Of course, there is the option of some sort of bank-switched dongle that allows you to stack up a bunch of them on a card or something. I have no spare card slots and no spare ports. I guess I just can't use a dongle. Unless it is passive on one of the ports... How about a standard? Will all dongles be able to be piggybacked, or will some require dedicated ports or slots? How many manufacturers who are making their own now are com- patible in this respect? I don't have any figures, but would like to know. What if I had, say, a basic IBM PC with two floppies and extended memory? Any dongle that required a serial port would then also require that I buy the port, thereby costing me far more than the software package originally cost, just because of the protection scheme. There are a lot of people out there who don't need serial ports for normal use, who might be forced into this situation. If they were buying a lot of these types of packages then the cost of the added port would be spread thinly, but such is not the case for the person who only buys one dongled software package. The serial number in the CPU itself (referring the main box of what- ever PC you have) is not really a good method of protection for the much- argued reason that all too many people have upgraded their PC's. This means that a new version of their software would have to be purchased, or somehow upgraded. Dongles don't solve this completely. What if the port configur- ation is changed? (witness IBM's serial port on the AT) If one buys a whole new system, including new cables, etc., then there is still the need to get some sort of adapter to tie in the old dongle, unless manufacturer offers an upgrade. I don't see any easy solutions for those who feel the need for copy protection, and dongles sure aren't the perfect answer, although better than some, I suppose. John W. Jabusch CSNET: jabusch%uiuc@csnet-relay.ARPA UUCP: {ihnp4,convex,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!jabusch USENET: ...!{pur-ee,ihnp4}!uiucdcs!jabusch ARPA: jabusch@uiuc.arpa