Mine is held together with tape…it’s not because I play with it it’s because I use it to play…Macbook Pro on the move and flimsy cheap plastic dongle do not make a good mix… I have the Propellerhead dongle too and yes it is more robust especially with it’s silicone case…
So +1 with the OP
so what happens if your one of these unlucky people where the dongle has failed more that once , does that mean even tho you have not lost the dongle your stuffed , surely that should be down to steiny to replace the dongle with a new activation code at no cost as its their dongle thats failing ?
regards
freq
It could be “lifecycle” as opposed to lifetime.
Obviously if you send back the hardware, what are Steiny going to say?
I think they will do whatever they can to get you up and running.
i would hope so ,but there is still that time of going without production till it is sorted out , im sure it’s a very rare thing but could still happen , i can’t see the problem of allowing you to have a spare dongle loaded , that way you either have a spare or homebase and laptop are sorted without risk ,in the elicenser i can’t see any issues of coding the licence +1 and +2 but im sure this topic has been going on since the dinosaurs living on the earth ,anyway must fly C6 has just arrived 
i can’t see the problem of allowing you to have a spare dongle loaded
That’s why there is a cubase trial.
All these forumites arguing for downloadable updates and super swift upgrades are missing the point that if you dismantle the dealership network, you take away support that you would otherwise obtain in 24-48 hours of a normal business week.
For my purposes I’m thinking of getting Cubase Artist and keeping my old CS5 as a backup if and when I want to upgrade to C6 I will have 2 copies of more or less the same application bar a few features here and there as well as the odd omission of certain well-known facilities.
Maybe by that time there will be a genuine cross-grade offer to nuendo and steinberg will come out with a new mega product that not only addresses the many problems canvassed here but also “breaks new ground” as the saying goes and incorporates a full hardware platform with a software identikit for use with 3rd party systems 
Nonsense.
Add to foe list.
Sorry if that came out curt - I admit that it was a little rude - but your posts do rub me the wrong way.
I was commenting on your assumption which contradicts the facts: Keyfax used to provide support and distribution. Since 2008, Steinberg North America provides support and more recently point-of-sale is outsourced to Asknet. Your claim that providing downloadable upgrades would require dismantling Yamaha/Steinberg support is false. Other examples that I have cited show that their competitors are providing downloadable upgrades, which you’ve rejected without sound argument and with prior dismissive characterizations.
Again, my apologies for being rude - I was addressing your statement - not you - I don’t even know you.
Dave
Who knows …
I still think The Idea Behind the dongle Is quite A brilliant protection method for software
It Might be the Quality of the protection device itself that might Have been better
However The Elicenser Dongle Has Already Changed a Lot Since it was introduced as protection device
First there was The ‘Pre USB Version’ witch you had to connect to the LPT Port of your System
The First USB Versions were Longer Than the versions they have now and were More Transparant
There was also A key number sticker on the inside of the First and Second Generation USB Dongle’s
the Third Generation Doesn’t have this
I am Sure that the best move for steinberg would be to Make the Fourth Generation Have steal Housing
However We should Consider that these type of Dongles will be A bit more expansive
So Maybe it’s An Idea To sell these next to the Current available version For those People that Require One
BTW
The Real Revolution In the Computer Audio World Would Be A Universal DSP Accelerator Card or Breakout Box For VST3 (Or newer Generation) Plugins
And I am pretty Sure that Steinberg is currently the only one thats able to do this
(Since they are the Inverters of The VST Format)
Maybe they can also put A USB Controller on it and make it so that the Dongle Will be placed inside your System
i think steiny should built a steel or aluminium version and give us all one free for christmas this year ! 
Agreed on this.
I am tired of soft plugs and proprietary DSP systems.
Give me NVIDIA CUDA SLI and let me run my audio MY way 
not via some vested interest keeping me locked to a particular manufacturer.
Imagine all your so-called “native” instruments and effects running without any CPU load, all via GPU.
Sounds great Dr. Ravix, let me know when a prototype is in existence.
May the next Steinberg led audio & media revolution begin!
Actually, VST3 spec is totally open for plugin and host developers alike - one of the things that I’ve always loved best about Steinberg. For years now, UAD and TC Electronics have been doing exactly what you’re describing for their plugins - but you pay a heavy price in latency for the savings on your CPU. Similar developments with OpenCL and Cuda have been tried but also wind up with increased latency - so far…
Whoops - redaction - just saw a press release that TC is discontinuing development on further PowerCore…
The difference between what Dr Ravix is suggesting and what TC/UAD/SSL/Creamware have done, is Steinberg would be controlling the spec. and it would be open for any developer to create plugs that perform DSP offloading, so regular “native” plugs could be run without using (or minimial usage) the computers’ CPU.
Ah… missed the key word in his post: “Universal”