I think letting the customer choice is the right way. But I miss the functionality to be able to
have backup on cloud. I think the best way for me would be to use the dongle, but let the licences
only be valid for a month. So if the dongle as not been synced within a month it stops, but it also
opens for downloading to a new key, and of course the sync should be protected so it can
be turned off to recover stolen keys.
Nice. I will for sure get one of them. Not as small that I had hope for the next generation key.
It would be great if it were smaller, but can we at least not build it out of the cheapest, most brittle plastic in all the land? I handle my elicenser Steinberg key pretty delicately and I’m on my second one, due to cracking and the two pieces of plastic just coming apart at the seams. Can we at least get a metal key like Propellerheads has for Reason?
Every new dongle I buy gets immediately taped up as a preemptive measure. I know that it’s only a matter of time that the cheap plastic snaps, regardless of my level of use. For mobile use if I don’t want to drag the dongle around I will use Studio One or Reaper, they are both very nice DAWs and getting better with each version.
Honestly I do like having my licenses offline. I know it’s 2016 and we all have almost stable internet but it’s just so much easier to have it done once and not worry about it. Certain plugins I have are so hardware config dependent that I need to keep 3 versions of their auths around, one for everything on, one without wifi enabled, one without wifi or an eSata drive, since the plugin is THAT picky about the hardware profile. Real PITA.
FWIW, I just accidentally got one of these - I ordered a 2nd copy of cubase so I can leave it permanently in the laptop bag and I don’t have to remember to pack it every time (Pro Tools crossgrade price - too good a deal to pass up). I didn’t realise that you get a dongle in the box, it’s been so long since I had a physical box for Cubase, and it came with the new version which was a pleasant surprise. It’s about half the length of the old when plugged in. It’s certainly not all it could be as discussed, but it is at least better.
Do anyone know if the new dongle works in a USB 3 port? Or even the newer USB 3.1 ports?
Just wondering because I am finally upgrading to a new PC and you don’t get many USB 2 ports any more.
Regards 
Yes, works fine on the MBP which only has USB3 ports.
Yeah looks like we are making progress, but its still going to be an issue for many. I can’t count the number of times I have ended up somewhere unable to work because the dongle has been left in a hub or on the side somewhere after needing the USB ports for something else.
Learn from the competitor: this is the magix sequoia dongle. Really neat fromfactor!
Give us a small adamantium-like dongle now.
We are demanding it. o.O
Sure you don’t have a USB connector directly on your motherboard. I have 2 on my ASUS WS Revolution board. My dongles havent left their socket since I build the mashine.
It is the users of laptops that have a valid issue…
There are short and cheap right-angle USB cables available, making the profile of the dongle lower, and thus less likely to result in damage to the port or the dongle is bumped.
I bought a couple of pairs for my USB adapter collection.
Of course, a dongle with just a few mm ‘head’ would be the best.
Better still, get rid of the bloody thing entirely!
Dongles are so 1990’s 
Perfect timing my dongle has snapped and now I can’t work on any Cubase projects until I sort out another one and figure out how to recover the license (if I even can) At least I can still work on projects in Logic, luckily I have access to a professional production tool I can actually rely on. Thanks Steinberg!!!
Exactly!!! Is this really so difficult after all these years of waiting?
Just ordered replacement. £25 including postage for another badly designed piece of crap that will break and leave me unable to work again at some point. Just wow.
I used crazy glue once when the plastic cracked. It held up for awhile until i dropped it on the ground with my keys attached to it. The plastic snapped leaving the chip exposed. I ended up purchasing a cheap 1gb memory stick, took the memory out, altered the inside and fit my dongle right inside. Works like a champ.
Put the dongle on a small cable to prevent it breakes in the socket
