RE: Third party software

Ken,

Not that uncomomon depending on the software package your are using. At my
last job (was there 13 years & a manufacturer) going back to the EARLY PC's
we actually had a card that went in the PC that had this security.
Eventually they changed to the dongle when they came out. This was Wallace,
the forms and labeling folks. We had a label design package that we used
world wide.

Where I now (a wholesale distributor) we have design folks at each branch
and they use a design package from 20/20 software (Canada). It used dongles.
But new purchases at a USB "dongle". And these things are NOT cheap...

Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shields, Ken
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 11:01 AM
To: Midrange Mailing LIst (E-mail)
Subject: Third party software

        I was at a customer site yesterday, and some of the applications on
the users' pc have a 'dongle' attached to 
        an LPT1 port, the function of which, prevents the software load if ,
it does not detect the 'dongle' switch.

        How widely used is this methodology?, any down side?...


Thanks'

Ken