Originally Posted by John Lawrence Schick
Wondering what the "iLok authorization" is and whether I need it since I'll only be using the samples in my DAW? It looks like a USB memory stick. I'm thinking it's only for the musician wanting to access these samples through other computer systems. Not sure???


It's not a memory stick, but a so-called dongle. It's supposed to prevent software piracy: you can only use the software when the dongle is attached to a USB slot in your computer. Can be very frustrating if you are a mobile user: forget your dongle and you simply cannot get any work done! ARGH!

(the irony, of course, is that users of the pirated versions of these programs do not suffer such discomforts)

iLok is a system used by various vendors. The upside is that you can have one of those darned dongles and use it for several software programs. The downsides are that you can still forget said dongle and that you actually have to buy one separately (they do not ship with the software - for obvious reasons).

I think it's downright insulting that, as a paying customer, I have to invest in a piece of hardware that is supposed to prevent others from stealing the software (and fails horribly at that!). As such, I actively avoid buying software that requires the iLok dongle - there's plenty of good alternatives that do not.

Jim Offerman ~ inspirational pop music
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