Any word on a smaller sleeker dongle yet?

Or any way they will get rid of it all together? One way would to have a pay by month subscription. A lot of software companies are doing that now. I would probably do that. That way I am always updated. Think about it Steinberg!:kissing_smiling_eyes::grinning:

Subscription no way, I pay when I upgrade (or not) i like to own a useright, rather than having the burden of monthly financial commitments, which will for sure work out as more expensive too. And then you get crap overhead like Gobler in order to manage it on your system. NO THANKS!

Seconded! +1

Thirded. +1

I “rent” an Adobe Photographer’s Package and since they moved over the rental formula the new additions to the programs and have almost stopped. Where’s the incentive? Since Steinberg aren’t the market leader, anyway, seems unlikely they’ll be the first to go down this route in the DAW market.

Also, didn’t Steinberg run a poll on this a couple of years which showed overwhelming support for staying as it is? Redently I have upgraded to every new version but I like knowing that I don’t have to and that the software will keep on working even if I can’t afford to or choose not to.

Another also, they only recently changed the dongle design so it seems unlikely they’ll do so again any time soon, however much we might want them to.

I got smaller Adobe Premiere Elements because big version Premiere only have subscription stuff - that’s how much I hate that idea of subscription.

A subscription isn’t copy protection so it’s a different topic than the dongle.

To be on topic to the title, +1 to a metal dongle.

+1 for a metal dongle

Well, they could have options. Subscription or Purchase to own. I don’t see a problem with that. And yes a small Metal dongle would be a nice upgrade. This big blue thing is a pain.

It’s only a problem because of the term subscription. It can mess things up for some professionals when submitting purchase orders with various budgets. I.E. If you’re a public educator or work on various types of grants that might prohibit or limit buying a ‘service’ or ‘subscription’ with the money.

The ‘word’ subscription can really mess things up, as it changes the class of product into something that one existing in a bureaucracy can only use certain budgets to buy. IF the ‘software people’ decide to let you have it at all…the end facilitator often cannot get personal access to the ‘account’ since some sysop in another building (sometimes a whole different campus) controls ALL software. The whole term nails it as a ‘software product’ with a regular ‘service charge’ that is not ‘optional’ to get any kind of support. That requires expensive and complicated implementation plans for it, etc. The end user can’t do simple maintenance/updates/etc.

A nice thing about the dongle…we can buy it with almost any budget (instruments, consumables, etc.), not even call it ‘software’, stick an inventory label on it, and from there the only bureaucratic fuss is protecting the dongle from loss or theft. The keys to the kingdom aren’t controlled by some sysop over in some other department. It’s an item that can be fully inventoried and self managed by the end facilitator…

Having said all that I can see where traveling or gigging musicians would much appreciate an easy way to not have to keep up with a dongle, or to get this stuff into more modern note-books and laptops that have increasingly fewer options for ‘plugging things in’ these days. There are ways to do it, and I’d imagine it could be blended pretty well into the existing dongle based scheme.

Metal dongle solve that dongle break in some cirumstances.

People working on laptops - and drops it to the floor - do you want the dongle to break or MB on computer?

Solution would really be making it like the tiny one I saw, that barely stick out from usb port.

On the flip side of this, there are often situations with funding-many grants for example-that specifically restrict making “capitol improvements” with the grant money. So in those cases, a grant recipient would not be able to buy Cubase but they would be able to “rent” it. I’m not advocating for a subscription model at all. I prefer to own the use of the software in perpetuity, but it is also nice to be able to write off our Adobe subscription in grant projects where we use those tools.

No Way to a Subscription ! Cubase is not something that needs to be purchased thru special sources. Everyone here is here using it as owners, developers, educators, hobbyists or struggling musicians. Once you have it, you choose when an upgrade has value and you do it or not. There are many months that go by when the last thing I use is Cubase. Not that I wouldn’t want to but that the other parts of my life demand attention and as a amateur, Cubase must wait. If I were paying each month for something I don’t use, many other things would need to go. As it is now if I need to change a credit card, it takes half a day to inform all the others that bill me monthly for services.

And , while not the dongle wanted by all, I did acquire an new one with Absolute 3 and it is half the size of my 14 year old original…I was surprised :scream:

I don’t understand why the topic has to be about two unrelated subjects, it kinda feels bait and switchy.

Back on topic:


It should have been like this 5 years ago…
But would love a solid rubber casing this size or smaller!

:mrgreen:

Don’t just read the title - read the full OP and how he speculates in not needing dongle and do subscriptions.
NO idea how that would work, just reaction to speculation that some express.

I can see how in some cases a subscription might work out for some grants without any fuss at all, or perhaps even be superior. In a public institution however, anything with a ‘reoccurring’ monetary auto-draft systems (often that ONLY work with a ‘credit or debt’ card) is just out of the question without many reams of paper-work…special accounts and implementation plans have to be set up, etc. Obviously some institutions are cutting edge, really flexible, and set up to handle anything you throw at them with a smile. Still more have accountants who are trained and encouraged to find any and every technical excuse they can to REJECT all purchase orders. When and if they do approve more complex things involving interdepartmental implementation plans and drafting style accounts, it usually all gets done over a one or two month period at the beginning of the academic year…and that’s IT until the next cycle a year later. Add to that, many of them simply will not do anything via electronic transfers from a debt card account. Vendors get a paper purchase order, and don’t get their ‘check’ until the institution gets around to processing the receipts and mailing a check to the vendor.

I do realize it all varies from region to region, and institution to institution, and that there are various third party vendors who can work all this red tape out for you on the side (for a fee or price mark-up of course) but I’ve seen quite a few band, orchestra, and choir teachers at primary and secondary levels have to ‘give up Sibelius’ and move to Finale (who still offer a back-door to activate via phone call) for this exact reason (Or buy Sibelius with their own personal money, and then it’s still a hassle because there is NO internet service anywhere near their office, and/or Sysops have a beef with setting up personal licensees on school machines).

The main plus for me personally with dongle-ware, has been that I, as the end facilitator, get control over the keys to the application. I can be far more creative legally and ethically in what budgets I can tap to obtain the product and keep it upgraded. I get more control over when and where it can run, and who and when can use it, etc. Of course there are disadvantages as well…but having more options in finding the pool of money for it, and activating the product on any old machine (even if there’s no internet access) kind of trumps all that.

Yeah, I don’t work within the academic world-unless asked to come to perform or do workshops. In my world where my group is primarily funded by grants from various city, state, and national arts councils it is pretty much the rule that any funding can’t be used to actually “buy” anything. You can use the funds in various “rental” situations so subscriptions that are used for the project are able to be written into those budgets.

The current eLicenser model is already about this size.

How about option C. for software dongle/license file. (similar to Waves or NI).

That’s my point…that it ISN’T even this size yet and it should have been 5 years ago!

:nerd: