bdickens
I keep seeing people complain about them and / or swear they will never use any software that requires them.

I guess in case e-mail program on your phone needs a dongle, you also will join the club of dongle haters
 
I was attracted by Sonar since there was no online/hardware authorization. So now I have switched to the (only) DAW which has no online/hardware authorization. We should at least try to protect our freedom.
 
 
 

I have several dongles and lots of USB ports/hubs. I have never had any problems. Now that dongles are USB it's a damn site easier than it was on an Atari ST where you only had one port to plug a dongle in and would have to physically swap dongles if you had more than one. 
 
I wouldn't be happy if all my software required a dongle. But I think if all software companies used just one universal dongle that worked reliably that would be so much better than the current requirement to have different dongles.
 
The thing I do like about dongles is that it makes the software portable - you just need to install that software on another machine and insert your dongle to use it. Then after the session, you take your dongle away with you and know that your license isn't going to get compromised or stolen.

I have never bought into the notion that dongles or any copy protection affects sales one way or the other. They are true seperate issues. Until someone shows me a pool of data confirming pirates will buy something they were unwilling to buy to begin with. The most heavily pirated software happens to also be the besr selling software so that is somewhat contradictory. It is easy to get a pirated copy of FL and Ableton. Doesn't seem to affect sales.

I am currently hassling with an Ilok that says it's not mine. I've got the package & receipt but I can't use it or the software I just bought. It was a hassle setting up & it took a day for the software to show up in the list & now that I try to transfer the Authorization I get the message that someone else own's the Ilok that is sitting in my USB port. Initially I refused to buy any software that required this. I guess my instinct was right.

I have a friend who runs a pro studio.  Once some time ago his iLok went faulty at the same time as the iLok server went down.  It took him well over a week to even be able to use his software. He lost clients, reputation and thousands of dollars.
 
Granted the chances of those two things happening at the same time are small but the fact is, it did happen.  Any system that relies on this is madness in my opinion.  For every piece software that requires an iLok there is an equivalent thing that does not.  I have a beautiful and powerful setup that has no such iLok anywhere in sight so it can be done. Plus it is all off line 99% of the time too which is also a great thing.  Any programs that have to be on line to work also represent bad design. 
 
The new cloud iLok system might be the go though.  That would be the only thing I would consider.  I have also very rarely met anyone who jumps from computer to computer and pulling their iLok key out and inserting them into different machines.  That just does not happen much in reality. 

From what I can see not all software works with the Cloud or with the Computer Authorization. Be careful who you buy from. Unfortunately for me Antares looks like it is one such vendor. We will see maybe at some point Ilok will help me - just not yet.

azslow3
So now I have switched to the (only) DAW which has no online/hardware authorization. We should at least try to protect our freedom.

Protect your freedom? Oh puh-leeze. I don't recall seeing where anyone invented a USB dongle that is able to hold a gun to your head.

Studio One can be authorised on line and off line as well. So Sonar is not the only DAW that works like this. Also Studio can stay off line indefinitely and continue to work forever.  From what has been said around here, Sonar actually needs to be on line from time to time to confirm that you are running the full version. I am not sure if this is correct or not but if it is so, then that sucks as well. 

it only has to be online once to authorise- same as presonus (can do offline thru another computer online). x3 and before didn't even need that

After some hassles & no resolution yet - I swear I will never again buy a product that requires a dongle.