Just wanted to mention, too, in this thread that Microfour uses the NIC card to "brand" the activation of the framework (strataframe) When you first install, it checks with the Microfour sever that you have an unused license and then installs, branding the install with the NIC. If you want to move the installation to another machine, you first deactivate on the current machine (via their server) then when you install on the other box have have an open license again. Once both machines have been installed, only the deactivation/activation part is necessary, of course.

But if you use a USB NIC as a "dongle" and register against that rather than your inbox NIC, you are good to go on any box you have the framework installed on against that NIC by just plugging in the USB - no calls to the Microfour server necessary.

Both processes work very smoothly and the second approach directly addresses the
"phone home" issue Craig speaks of.



>>I think you are absolutely right. The dongle is just a portable registry key. I see it as a convenience ( unless the argument is that any attempt to prevent multiple unlicensed installation of software is evil and I do find it odd Craig would take that position in that he seems to take EULAs at least as seriously as anyone I know )
>
>I also see it as a convenience, specially nowadays that USB makes things much easier and with computers having multiple USB ports, or cheap USB hubs or even other peripherals that can act as USB ports (for example I have in my computer two monitors with 2 USB ports each, the keyboard has one USB port and the multimedia reader has two more, all adding to the like 7 ports my computer already has.