Best dongle-free alternative for "on the road"?

[MrSoundman]

Product suggestion for Steinberg/Yamaha: an ExpressCard version of the eLicenser.

This should be a no-brainer as the ExpressCard already integrates USB 2.0 so it’s really just a matter of putting the same chip into a different package. Combine this with say, a high-quality DAC with a headphone output and good ASIO drivers and I think anyone with a laptop would soon be reaching for the plastic …

[steve]

@Woodcrest Studio

If you don’t already have one, buy a spare dongle so you have one in case anything was to happen. I think they are only $20. If for any reason something happens to your dongle Steinberg should be able to help you out if you have one. I think at the very least, you’ll be able to download a trial to keep you up and running in the unlikely case something would happen to your dongle. Then you’ll have your butt covered.

Exactly. I did this and I have no worries now. I found mine on ebay for $15.

[rikaar]

So 10 Years later
Steinberg/Yamaha annonced a solution in march 2021 to make the Pro Versions dongle free!?

If i forgot my dongle (luckely just 2 times in nearly10 years - but two times to much, it´s realy annoying) i have an LE Version on my Laptop, but it´s just to work rudimentarly! You can´t open pro projects, cause of restrictions of course…so no really good solution up to date 2021!

Let´s hope for 2022 and hopefully not a monthly cloud-based or billing solution! Then I have to change my DAW after 25 years. This would be really painful