3-Newcomer

Question

M15: Licensing problems

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
November 21, 2010
4 replies
10126 views

I have had quite a journey wrt getting a machine on which to run M15. After many months of trying other computers, I have installed it on a desktop to which I have infrequent access, and it has actually run for two days in a row!

In my discussions with PTC, there has been frequent mention of my computer "MAC hardware address." AFAIK, there is not one, and thereby hangs the tale. I think that this is the end of my relationship w Mathcad, because I have spent many hours loading M15 (which removes M14), removing M15, and installing M14. I am pretty fed up with the attitude of companies such as PTC toward licensing.

During the last year, I went through month's of the same sort of licensing problems with another product, but only because I was being paid to do so. The folks paying me rolled their eyes every time they saw me coming, but they really wanted to run the other product, so they put up with the hassle. We eventually wound up with a "work around" after several months of working with their technical support. I have another licensed product that I have upgraded for years, and it, too, fails to license properly. The only way I can get it to run is to configure my firewall to not let the license program run, and then not be connected to the network when I launch the program. I won't be upgrading that program, either; I'll find an alternative.

I am unwilling to invest that much time in getting M15 to run. I just upgraded Maple with no problems. If someone can sell me a $4000 piece of software (I have several) and rely on me to respect the license, then so can PTC, Maple, MATLAB, etc. I should be able to install it on a dozen computers, as long as I respect the license. The current situation is very much like PTC saying "We figure that you are a criminal, so we will treat you that way from the beginning." At a secure facility at which I worked, the security folks decided one day that we all needed "assume the position," pat-down searches on the way in. One of my co-workers went through the pat-down search, immediately turned around and left the facility, went to the VP's office and quit. No discussion. Figured he didn't want to work at place where folks were treated as criminals.That policy lasted as long as it took the VP to call security to and tell them to stop before more folks quit. (As a result, I missed getting one by "that much.") Well, increasingly, with software licenses, that is the way I feel.

When I buy a book, the publisher doesn't tell me that if I begin reading it in the front room, then I can't continue to read it in the office, because that is where it is "licensed" to be read. Yet, this is precisely what is happening to programs such as Mathcad. It seems to me that once I buy the software I should be able to run it wherever I wish, with no hassles. With some products, one can "borrow" a license, but even that means that one must have access to the "licensed" machine. No access = no joy. If you are in someone else's office and want to show them something, yer outta luck. I recently showed a tensor calculation and plot to an other researcher by hauling my laptop w M14 on it to his office. He was interested in having it for himself - the only way I could show him what I had done was to haul my computer to his office. Funny isn't it; while we become an increasingly mobile society, companies such as PTC are locking us to a SPECIFIC desk.

So, where I have been an advocate for Mathcad for years, I have stopped advocating. My reputation means too much to me to recommend a product that has so much overhead. This is unfortunate, because Mathcad holds a unique niche in the technical software market. I know that this is nothing new to the folks at PTC, and that there are many frustrated folks around, so I am just spitting in the wind. But I think that a public voice needs to be sounded when things go wrong, as they have here. Fortunately for many of us, there are alternatives.I've always believed that companies have a right to chart their own course. I'm irritated because I have a lot of time invested in Mathcad over the past 25 years, and I now must look to learning a new product. By voicing my opinions, I am giving PTC an opportunity to consider them, but I agree that PTC - and other software companies - must decide for themselves how to best spend their time, just as I must.

~R~

Physics

H

hilbert

1-Visitor

I tried to install MC14 last summer and then MC15 last month by myself. However, both times I ran into trouble.

In each instance, I then asked for help from PTC and both times they provided a technician on the phone who stepped

me through the installation process.

I emerged in both instances with MathCad operational.

I very much appreciate their assistance.

Patrick

M

MikeArmstrong

1-Visitor

I'm irritated because I have a lot of time invested in Mathcad over the past 25 years, and I now must look to learning a new product. By voicing my opinions, I am giving PTC an opportunity to consider them, but I agree that PTC - and other software companies - must decide for themselves how to best spend their time, just as I must.

That is such a shame with the experience you have.

I understand a lot of users have had problems with licensing and installations, but in PTC's defensive they have created a direct contact and it seems more users are getting solutions to their problems.

Below is a direct contact which I'm sure you have explored.

-.

Mathcad and this forum needs experienced users such as yourself.

Mike

N

Ninetrees

Author

3-Newcomer

Dear Pat and Mike,

Both of you make good points, and I would like to say that I, too, got quite a bit of help along the way from PTC as we addressed the licensing (and //other//) installation problems. In fact, I understand that PTC has hired someone just to handle such problems. So let me clarify my POV. All this licensing junk is great for the folks PTC pays to address them; I don't begrudge them a job, though I wish that they were unnecessary. All this licensing junk is good for hackers; they love challenges, apparently, so this gives them something to feed upon. I wish that they would turn their skills to helping humanity. Maybe PTC figures that I'll buy a copy of one of their products and then install it on 20 computers in my business. Dunno. (I used to teach a class on business ethics at the college level.)

So the only real losers are those folks who actually paid for the product (I have 2 M14 licenses), and just want to use what they paid for. Every hour that I spend trying to solve a PTC licensing problem is one more hour that I don't get to help the kids down the street with their robots projects, or the high school kids with their high-altitude balloon missions (both real projects for me). So, see, I just want the old days back. I want to buy some software, and be free to use it with a minimum of hassle. I want to put it on any computer that I choose, as long as I meet the "one user per license" requirement. I'm old enough to have used Mathcad from V1, and recall how thrilled I was that such a tool was available. I'm old enough to recall when Lotus came out with their "licensing" scheme, and how many of us decided on the spot that we would never own a copy of Lotus. (I never did.)

So I appreciate the help that I've gotten from those @ PTC who /did/ try to help. And to be frank, I have a lot of learning invested in M1..14, so I won't drop it right away. I don't really want to shift to anything new, and I still think that Mathcad (the old one) has many advantages over the competition. I just finished a 50 page paper on spacecraft charging, and I used M14 to help me out (in some small ways, to be sure). I prolly create 2 worksheets per week in M14. But the point remains: I am tired of spending my time addressing licensing issues with /any/ vendor. Right now, 3 are on my short list to be obsoleted, entirely for licensing hassles.

As an example, I have a piece of software that cost me several $K USD, and I can install if //anywhere//. If I am on the road (I carry a 1TB drive with my life on it 😉 ), and I need that software, I can install it, license it, use it, and remove it - all without ever contacting the vendor (a vary large company with international presence). I can't even install M15 on my laptop after a few months of working with PTC. Call me grumpy is you wish - I'm too grumpy to care 😉

So when I have the time, I'll try to stick my oar in and help out on the forum. There's so many good folks here that I can honestly say that my biggest regret at reducing my interaction with Mathcad (user) folks is that the Mathcad forum is the one (at least the old collab, which was much more useful than this new "pretty" one) that I use for an example when I speak of international collaboration at the engineering level. That sense of collaboration and helpful teamwork is a huge part of the Mathcad experience.

~R~

M

MikeArmstrong

1-Visitor

Please don't think I was interfering as your experience far outweighs mine and you have obviously had many more problems than I have personally experienced.

As an example, I have a piece of software that cost me several $K USD, and I can install if //anywhere//. If I am on the road (I carry a 1TB drive with my life on it 😉 ), and I need that software, I can install it, license it, use it, and remove it - all without ever contacting the vendor (a vary large company with international presence). I can't even install M15 on my laptop after a few months of working with PTC. Call me grumpy is you wish - I'm too grumpy to care 😉

PTC should offer this type of license as a lot of users have to travel and it does become a problem when getting sent to site or away from your normal place of work.

Lotus came out with their "licensing" scheme, and how many of us decided on the spot that we would never own a copy of Lotus. (I never did.)

God, you are showing your age

Cheers

Mike

R

RichardJ

19-Tanzanite

In my discussions with PTC, there has been frequent mention of my computer "MAC hardware address." AFAIK, there is not one, and thereby hangs the tale.

All computers have a MAC address.

Open the Command Prompt (i.e. the good old DOS) window. Type ipconfig/all. Your MAC address is listed as the physical address, and will be of the form XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX, where XX are hex numbers.

R

RichardJ

19-Tanzanite

Actually, I can think of one place where you might be having problems. Do you have two network adapters (for example wireless and cabled), and are you are switching back and forth between them? Each adapter will have it's own MAC address, so if the license is locked to one of them and you switch to the other that could be a big problem. I seem to recall that someone posted about this some time ago, and I don't know if they ever got a solution.