Registration system

[RwGast]

I own an ipaq and my only problem with the system Dan uses is compaq's way of doing buisness. I have to send my ipaq back every few months becuase it is a 3600 and has to many damned bugs and whenever i get it back its usually a new ipaq wich means i have to mail dan for they key again. Now currently this is no problem its a speedy email with the key . But what happens when the software isnt supported anymore in like 10 years and i decide to use it it even though i have a new pda and blah blah blah well what if i had my ipaq replaced since the last time i used it 10 years ago ill just be screwed and not be able to use a product i paid for. Now this is a really 'rare' scenario but what if?

[ShALLaX]

Heheh, Dan will be the one dealing with it when i hard reset.

I would also like to point out im not merely a reviewer, im a customer like yourself and have as much right as you do to express my opinions and discuss the software with him. I didnt buy DEXplor to review, i bought it to use. I am extremely impressed with its capabilities absolutely no doubt about that - the only prob i have is with registration....

Hmmm, wait - idea heheh... Hmmm its so obvious! Hard reset, backup with NOTHING installed, then just use that backup whenever i need to hard reset. Could this work!! Sounds viable. If this works then this argument is officially over and im happy ... Can anyone verify this?

[Dan East]

[ShALLaX]

[Troy]

I don't like the current system of registration at all. I hard reset my device on a fairly regular basis. I purchased a piece of software, and I think that I should be able to reinstall it at ANY time day or night. I do not believe that I should have to wait for a response to my request for a new key from the developer.

I love the product, just hate the registration.

Troy

[ShALLaX]

Woo... Someone joined my army heh... Although if you backup the device with only dexplor installed it half-remedies the problem... still not a totally satisfying solution though

[ottoman]

I too hate this type of registration process and that is the reason why I will not buy DEXplor. It looks like a great product but I am done buying software that only gives me the right to use for the duration of my current PDA. I understand Dan has to make a living so he should do what he thinks is best to protect his software, just like it is my choice not to buy it.

[Dan East]

This post is simply providing correct information for the incorrect assumptions being presented in this thread.

Ottoman, I have, and will continue to, provide new keys for customers that upgrade to new hardware, have their devices replaced or repaired, hard reset, etc.

Troy,
DEXplor Registration Keys for Compaq iPaqs are permanent, and will work even after a hard reset. The registration key will work with that specific iPaq forever. The iPaq is the most prolific of Pocket PC's. Thus the concerns being raised in this thread have nothing to do with the majority of DEXplor customers or Pocket PC owners.

The DEXplor registration key can be restored after a hard reset without requesting a new key. You simply backup your Pocket PC, either to your PC, or to a Storage Card, after installing DEXplor. This is the simplest, fastest, and most reliable method available to restore the registered version of DEXplor, and can be used without having to use the internet or even connect your Pocket PC to your PC. I recommend this to iPaq owners as well, because it is extremely easy to restore. The only issue here is that some people feel that I should offer multiple methods of restoring after a hard reset, custom designed to their specifications. Any such method would be simultaneously more complex and less secure. That is a lose-lose scenario for both the developer and the rest of the consumers.

Several Pocket PC 2002 devices have permanent storage space not affected by a hard reset (extra ROM space). DEXplor can be moved to this storage area, so hard resets are not an issue in the first place.

Dan East

[Guest]

Still, there is no proper remedy. Your very argument that posted proves you have turned your back to those people who do not own an iPaq - take a lesson in business an economics: customer satisfaction is imperative to success, dont please your customers and they wont come back - and they will spread word of mouth. No other software that I have bought requires me to specifically email the creator and wait for a new key. The only software that comes close to that is RocketElite. Their registration system is handled online and is completely automated. Install the software, Login to the website with your personalised username and password. enter your unique ID (Which is generated differently from processor type i.e. sh3 codes are different to arm and mips). Nice and simple and relatively secure. The code is then mailed to the email address that was submitted during registration and this address cannot be changed without emailing the creator, therefore if the email address changes often, the account can be blocked.

This method is painless and prompt. I feel this is a system that DEXplor should employ.

[Troy]

Ok, I think that next time I might give this backup strategy a try. Let me see if I have the process correct.

After a hard reset, I install DEXplor as the first thing. Once I have it installed, I collect the generated serial number for that install. I then send that serial number in and wait for a proper registration key to arrive via email. In the mean time, I wait. If I understand correctly, I should not install anything else until I get this registration key? Once the key arrives, I enter it in and am then registered. Now I perform a backup of my Jornada which will only contain the DEXplor application.

Did I get that right?

By the way, I still don't like it. I still think that I should be able to reinstall to my Jornada at anytime night or day without waiting for a new key. This is the ONLY piece of software I own that requires me to do this.

Thanks
Troy

[Dan East]

I don't see how taking advantage of a hardware capability unique to certain Pocket PC models can be construed as ignoring the other models. The fact that DEXplor takes advantage of the iPaq's ESN is generally considered a feature or positive capability of the software. This clearly is an "is the glass half empty or half full" interpretation, and some are choosing the pessimistic view. If iPaqs did not support Electronic Serial Numbers I would still use the same registration system.

DEXplor is one of the few pieces of Pocket PC software not available through the warez channels. To me that is an indication of the success of the registration system. I fully expect a lashback from warez users who cannot obtain the software they desire for free, in addition to those loyal to other competitive products for whatever reason. I have just looked back through the last several dozen support and sales emails for DEXplor. These contain the real support issues with customers, as opposed to the "what if" type of conjecture presented in a public "debate". All the responses and feedback were positive, including customers who had to request new Registration Keys.

I do not feel it is unreasonable to expect a customer to perform a backup if they do not wish to request a new registration key after a hard reset.

Dan East

[Dan East]

Troy, first of all, thanks for being open-minded enough to try the technique before you dismiss it.

You do not need to perform a hard reset. Shallax prefers to purposefully hard-reset his device from time to time to give it a "clean start". So he perfomed a hard reset before backing up with DEXplor. That way when he restores a backup he has a clean slate again, with just the handful of programs he deems critical installed. That certainly is not a bad idea, but it is a level of effort the majority of Pocket PC owners do not go to.

Technically all you need to do is install DEXplor and perform a backup. It does not even need to be registered. However, I recommend getting your Pocket PC to the state you prefer. Install all the software you use most, and uninstall anything you don't use (such as software you evualuated and did not choose to use). Get all your preferences and settings for all the programs just how you want them. Then perform a full backup, including the Registry, either to your PC or to a Storage Card. You now have a "snapshot" of your Pocket PC which can be restored very quickly in the event of a hard reset. Not only will DEXplor be registered after a restore, you will not have to manually install DEXplor, the plugins, registration key, etc, not to mention all the other programs and documents you have installed and use on your Pocket PC.

Dan East

[ShALLaX]

[ottoman]

Duh!!!! I forgot about the HP Safe Store in rom!!! Thanks Dan for that little tidbit. That would make sense if it is stored there it is pretty much safe for the life of that PDA, right. Okay that makes up for the HP not having the nice permanent ID system that the iPAQ has. Cool. The second problem is making sure nothing happens to you for the next 10 years so when I do my yearly PCC upgrade I will always get my new reg key. : )

well I might take the plunge afterall. It is great product at such a low price that principles really shouldn't factor in too much in this case. If you support this as well as Doug Beck supports RocketElite (which does require an email to the author if hardware is changed) then it is worth it.

Thanks.

[Dan East]

Thanks! You can find the instructions to manually move DEXplor to another location .

If I ever reached the point that I were to permanently discontinue DEXplor (we are of course talking about 10 years from now ) then I would release it as freeware, assuming some other Software Company didn't buy it outright from me and continue support and development.

As I've said in other posts, I write software for people to use. I was not actively seeking some project to create as a source of income. I had several ideas on a better way to provide file management on the Pocket PC, and hence DEXplor was created. Fortunately I just happen to be a programmer so I was able to bring my ideas to fruition.

Dan East