exactly - look at all the users WITH the dreaded SX 'poof' bug, (apparently it even was 'poofing' at the trade show repeatedly according to the cubase forum discussion)... so if I had to buy SX, I'd pay up, and keep the box on the shelf and
use the stable copy which I KNEW 100% worked.
Factualy, alot of people do that anyways, they have the box sitting on the shelf un-used cos they dont like to run a dongle. same with Logic users too & definately the same with waves users as referred to above as a famous example.
Why would I bother f*cking about HOPING that a legal 'copy', (which is all they are after all, just 'copies'), would work, when I know that so-called illegal copy works for sure??
Now therefore, sure, you give Steiny the cash, and what you get is... nothing back, except knowing you contributed to the writers/company... but what they offer isnt much use outside of the core programme from which someone anonymous can hack a stable version which needs no dongle, which paid-up users can then run...Their support is worth jack shite, and updates are useless as they mostly are just bugged again all over, and round you go.
If you follow 'the law', lets say you build a new PC, and setup SX/cubase on that.... illegal! - you cannot do multiple installs of the s/w according to your licence as far as I know.
The problem with this whole industry is they can't figure out a way to retail their goods properly to stop crack users. When the subject comes up on forums, it always descends into a mire of intellectualising about the 'rights & wrongs' of cracked s/w, and no-one ever has a solution.
I myself beleive the s/w now is so expensive compared to the hardware you are running it on, it has totaly discounted all advantages of the PC industry... if the hardware corps can survive with ever decreasing profits, why not the s/w?...
So now your basic main sequencer app might cost the same as the hardware parts for your PC, then add some synth & sampler and drum s/w, and editor mastering s/w and the cost has doubled more that the actual PC itself. Perhaps psychologicaly this dissuades people from paying?
i dunno... but there has to be a better way than expecting that everyone can and will stump up a grand or more for the s/w they need all in one go.
I myself advocate ownership 'clubs' which users can join and pay regular installments, topping up their s/w list as and when they need stuff. But that'd mean revamping the sales end for music s/w and licencing independant pc music s/w techs as sort of 'service-agents' etc and not relying 100% on traditional shops.