mr dave:

2)  Is the locator problem fixed so we can have more than one line of text beside the images.

 Not sure. Maybe if Terry Curren check in here (or anyone on the beta team) they can tell us

 

BLGDOG  no need to ask Terry Curren, I loaded a trial version and  the locator problem is not fixed.

Why is it we can get upgrades in other areas and yet we can't  get back a feature we had and used.

Maybe in 4.x

RodneyinMunich:

Hear hear Andrew! Absolutely my point of view.

Well, I guess you all have the opportunity to make your point heard now.  When I see highly experienced people like Todd Smelser (BLKDOG) use it and have no major problems, I tend to think it's ok...who knows, I could be all wrong here.  But to come out flaming without even trying the option is curious.  Perhaps you can upgrade the some that need to use the new 3.5 features and keep the others on a dongle?  Whatever works for you.  But this did not happen in a vacuum, so perhaps you can try it and then give Avid your feedback for a better system going forward.  You and Andrew may be the majority or minority, but reasoned feedback to Avid will help everyone.  MHO.

 

switthaus:

But to come out flaming without even trying the option is curious.

IF the activation was an ADD ON to enhance a perfectly working system I might agree with you. I would certainly test run it and see how or why it would benefit me. However as this has been announced as a done deal it will take a strong fight to keep the functionality we currently enjoy.

 

Please stop with all the "try it" or ' you haven't tried it" because once anyone "tries it" their dongle is useless. There is no turning back.

I am for keeping BOTH options.

The best post was the one with the example a few back about having 15 machine switches a day or something. That is a time wasting issue.

 

Does Blkdog have that many changes a day?

 

Thanks

I'm leaning with Andrew on this one, but I cant really judge until I do it.  I do have a question that maybe BLKDOG can answer.  I am one of the many that routinely switch between work and home computers with my trusty dongle.  I also tend to edit on set quite a bit as well.  In a perfect world, we can all be prepared and deactivate a computer and reactivate the one you are using at the moment, but what happens for example that you are in a pinch and you need access to your avid on your laptop, but your machine at work is activated.  can you remotely deactivate a machine?

I just upgraded my system to 3.5

and... i decided to go with Software licensing.  Why?  I primarily use my laptop for editing.  I get SO paranoid on the plane that the fool next to me on the plane is gonna just slam his try down and snap my dongle in 2. 

here's what i did to activate it:

I disabled the wireless adapter (pushed the wireless button) verified the wireless was disabled in Windows Network management.  I left the onboard NIC unplugged - and it just says "not connected". 

this means that the software licensing will run off my internal NIC and not my wireless.

i then installed and launched Media Composer - got to the product activation screen.  I jacked in my wired line, activated my software license and deactivated my dongle.

Media Composer launched.

I quit out, and then i unpluged my wired connection.

Media Composer launched.

then i looked out the window and noticed the sky has not yet fallen.

I can now breathe easy when the fat dude next to me decides to cross his legs and carelessly kicks my laptop that my software will still run (provided his foot didn't destroy my laptop.)

 

I used to hate sushi. that was until i tried it for the first time.  Now i can barely go a month without it.

switthaus:

When I see highly experienced people like Todd Smelser (BLKDOG) use it and have no major problems, I tend to think it's ok.

So it is ok to base your opinion on anothers users opinion but not ok to make a strong case against it based on studying Avid's own tutorial. (for heavens sake it takes a 10 minute plus tutorial to explain how to activate/deactivate your software with this new "improved" system) 

I respect Todds opinion but I also know he uses his Avids in a completely different setup to mine. Therefore I make use of his overall opinion and then apply the parts that are relevant to me as obviously what is good for him is not neccessarily the best option for me.

switthaus:

so perhaps you can try it and then give Avid your feedback for a better system going forward.

More than happy to assuming they are willing to consider continuing using the dongle beyond 3.5.

As an aside and knowing you to be a long time Avid user did you follow your own advice in the quote above and try Avid on a PC when Avid announce it was dropping Mac support? Or did you protest your heart out and achieve a monumental about face??

FunkyDragon:

i decided to go with Software licensing.

We have said all along it will suit some. Heck it could even be really usefull in some situations. The argument is that dropping the dongle replaces current functionality with a needless time consuming (added business costs for me) process for what could well be a resonable proportion of the current user base.

FunkyDragon:

I used to hate sushi. that was until i tried it for the first time.  Now i can barely go a month without it.

Recreational choices hardly seem a reasonable parable in this case.   Nice to see you are still about Funky

chomper129:

what happens for example that you are in a pinch and you need access to your avid on your laptop, but your machine at work is activated.  can you remotely deactivate a machine?

Yes you can. You can either call into Avid or use another computer attached to the internet.

BLKDOG,

Not to make you repeat yourself more than you already have here, but are you sure that you can use another computer attached to the internet to deactivate a license? I just looked through the Avid Software Licensing Training presentation (http://community.avid.com/forums/post/386854.aspx?cmpid=52) and it says in big bold letters that there is no way to deactivate the software 'indirectly through a manual webform process.' It goes on to say (caps in context) that 'YOU MUST HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET' on the computer you are deactivating.

I have to admit that I, too, am a little reticent to switch over from my dongle. The dongle has been such a fast, easy system to switch licenses from my laptop to desktop, and my past experiences with activation-based licensing has been spotty at best. As others have pointed out, internet connectivity isn't always guaranteed if you're on set or on location, and getting on the phone with Avid sounds significantly slower than carrying a dongle with you.

Also, the Avid presentation references its 'iTunes-like' activation... do you know if there's a possibility that Avid will allow one to authorize x number of computers? With iTunes I have 5 computers on which I can play purchased music (and I can deactivate them remotely), and while it would seem that Avid would be risking quite a bit to enable multiple computer activations, that would be one solution to reduce the frequency with which people will have to authorize/deauthorize their systems.

Anyway, I am curious to see how (other) people start to use it, and if it is true that you can deactivate a license from a non-Avid computer.

 

Here's a screenshot of the presentation I referenced:

AndrewAction:

switthaus:

When I see highly experienced people like Todd Smelser (BLKDOG) use it and have no major problems, I tend to think it's ok.

So it is ok to base your opinion on anothers users opinion but not ok to make a strong case against it based on studying Avid's own tutorial. (for heavens sake it takes a 10 minute plus tutorial to explain how to activate/deactivate your software with this new "improved" system) 

I respect Todds opinion but I also know he uses his Avids in a completely different setup to mine. Therefore I make use of his overall opinion and then apply the parts that are relevant to me as obviously what is good for him is not neccessarily the best option for me.

switthaus:

so perhaps you can try it and then give Avid your feedback for a better system going forward.

More than happy to assuming they are willing to consider continuing using the dongle beyond 3.5.

As an aside and knowing you to be a long time Avid user did you follow your own advice in the quote above and try Avid on a PC when Avid announce it was dropping Mac support? Or did you protest your heart out and achieve a monumental about face??

Wow, leave for a few hours and look what happens.  There is no perfect solution.  What works for me obviously causes you angst.  You are certainly letting your feelings be known and maybe something will come of it.  If not, we all make do the best we can (or make the switch to another system that fits better).   I just see your response being a bit out of proportion to the issue.  How much revenue will this cost you?  Will you actually lose business?  Will editors leave your shop over this activation?  Will you have to leave the Avid product line because of this?  Perhaps this new activation setup is better for Avid as a company in the long run, and if we are interested in keeping this company going, we need to grin and bear it?

(now for the OT part of the above post) No, I did not protest my heart out at the temporary dumping of the Mac platform.  If you go way way back in the archives of some forums you will see that I was urging Avid to pick one platform: Mac or PC.  Pick one and focus development on that single platform.  I have edited on PC's and Mac's and the beauty of the Avid software is that it makes it relatively transparent no matter what the platform is.  Didn't matter to me; just pick one and focus all your development dollars there and not spread those dollars too thin.  Sure, I prefer a Mac but more importantly I wanted to keep cutting on Avid.

We have different opinions and workflows.  I am sorry this does not seem to work for you.  Hopefully you will get it worked out with Avid.

 

best - Scott Witthaus

Simply Scott the idea should be that Avid has developed an idea that will suit some of their customers better than their 15 year old system. Common sense should dictate that they ADD THE NEW SYSTEM to the existing system as it suits many existing clients better. 

We know thay can do this with minimal problems as they have done it with 3.5.

These seem to be the points for and against software activation:

 

FOR

1. no worries about dongles being stolen or malfunctioning (the film school scenario)

2. no worries about where the dongle currently is (the forgetful editor scenario)

3. reduced width of notebook when editing (the tray table scenario)

4. de- and reactivation when moving between systems when running on the internet

5. deactivating a remote computer is probably possible by telephone or internet (but might not be)

6. this system may be better for Avid the company in the long run (Scott's scenario)

 

AGAINST

1. organisational hassles (the 4 dongles/9 computers/10 editors/15 changes per day scenario)

2. editor must have access to internet or telephone access to (a possibly US) Avid hotline to de- and reactivate

3. possibility that a single computer will deactivate itself (the Softimage/XSI, Stage Tools and DS scenario)

4. possibility that changed network settings (operator error? pouty computer?) may deactivate software (the NIC scenario)

5. added time to de- and reactivate (this may be neglible or it may be a fair amount of work)

6. deactivating a remote computer is probably possible by telephone or internet (but might not be) - I have this one is both for and against because it's still seems uncertain.

 

I don't think I've missed any of the points raised in this thread. There may be a killer argument for software activation out there somewhere that hasn't been mentioned. At the moment the "killer argument" seems to be "try it, you might like it".

 

Four questions that I thought of while working through this list:

- Will I need a software support contract to get access to the Avid hotline?

- What happens if the call centre op can't find your customer details on the computer?

- What information will I need to have with me in order to de- or reactivate, particularly a remote computer?

- Is a change that increases my dependence on Avid really good for me?

 

Cheers!

 

 

RodneyinMunich:

- Will I need a software support contract to get access to the Avid hotline?

FAQ says you don NOT need a Support Contract for telephone support on activation/deactivation:

http://www.avid.com/cgi/kbase-redir.aspx?p_faqid=77601#a10

Thansk Job for the link to the FAQs and Installation guide. It answered a couple of my questions.

RodneyinMunich:

- Will I need a software support contract to get access to the Avid hotline?

No accoprding to the FAQ. But while the FAQ says I need to call a US number for activation, the Installation guide refers me to a support page http://www.avid.com/support/contact.html. If I'm in Australia or New Zealand I have to call Singapore. In Germany I call Frankfurt. Will there be 24 hour service on these numbers?

RodneyinMunich:

- What information will I need to have with me in order to de- or reactivate, particularly a remote computer?

According to the installation guide System ID and serial number. I guess I'll just have to have these numbers with me all the time. A USB stick does take up less space than a dongle, I suppose...

Reading the installation guide, there seems to be no possibility of a remote deactivation. The computer to be deactivated needs an internet connection and the software needs to be running to be deactivated. Alternatively, according to the FAQ, I can call Avid Supoort (US? Singapore?) and deactivate.

This question may seem paranoid but if someone steals my system ID and serial number, can they deactivate my software?