Proton BASIC Community

Am I right in thinking that there use to be a link on the forum telling users how they could purchase PDS? I think it might be a good idea to have links showing where Proton can be purchased and how the latest update can be obtained.

Bob

The old forum linked to the Crownhill website.

Les needs to re-advertise on Ebay or if you go to the members area of the forum find Les, click on actions tab and send him an email.

Can some kind soul please explain what you need to do if your USB security dongle dies or is lost?  I'm long retired now so probably don't need to upgrade the version of Proton I have but I'd be lost without the dongle for my hobby projects.

Cheers,
David

Nice to see you around David! My understanding is that Les is going to do away with dongles in the not too distant future.  Dongles are not conducive to online sales it would seem!

Bob

Hi Bob.  Thanks for the quick reply.  It's great to see the friendly names appearing again.
Perhaps I'm a little slow - as I see it there are two issues.  Going forward Les needs to protect his years of input to the compiler to ensure a return on his time so some sort of security is required.  Then there's the long term users (like me) who are still using the dongle but I'm not sure who supports it now and what the alternative is. 
Having your career ripped out from under you seemed terribly un-British but we don't know the full details of this sad situation.

Cheers,
David

My understanding, from what Les has said, is that future updates of the compiler will eventually do away with the dongle. Instead each user will have a personally identifiable copy of the compiler. In other words a unique code or name will be embedded into compiler indicating who is licenced to use it. Should (when) illegal copies find their way onto the internet, then I assume there will be some mechanism to disable them.

The nice thing is that a licenced user will be allowed to put their copy of Proton onto several machines.

Bob     

Sounds good Bob and I really hope things work out for Les.
I can understand wanting to do away with security dongles but over the years they have been quite effective.  Our worst nightmare would be to see Proton widely hacked and distributed giving Les no reason to put further effort in to it.
I had this happen with an RC flight simulator I purchased and overnight the support and development stopped.  Fingers crossed it never happens to Les and us.

Cheers,
David 

Quote from: david on Feb 09, 2021, 08:11 PMCan some kind soul please explain what you need to do if your USB security dongle dies or is lost?  I'm long retired now so probably don't need to upgrade the version of Proton I have but I'd be lost without the dongle for my hobby projects.

Cheers,
David

If you do not feel the need to upgrade to the dongleless version of the compiler I am sure somebody who either has already upgraded to the dongleless version or who is intending to would be willing to donate or sell you their dongle when they no longer need it, particularly as a few of us who purchased a spare and so have two dongles.

However, there are certain things to consider...
1) If someone if offering to sell a Dongle they no longer need rather than donate it and there is little difference in cost between that and the dongleless versions then, unless you are currently without a working dongle and cannot wait for the dongleless version to become available (if not already), waiting and paying for the dongleless upgrade would make more sense than obtaining another dongle as you get the benefits of using the latest version and it support of newer devices.
2) Over the years the compiler has undergone changes, so if you want help from the forum that makes sense in regard to what you are being told being compatible with what your version of the compiler can do it helps if you are using a reasonably up to date version, so at the least you should download and keep a backup of one of the most recent versions that still supports a dongle rather than obtaining a dongle to maintain use of a compiler version that is several years old.
 
I know there will be a undefined period where the compiler will support both dongles and dongless registration. I may be wrong (I am sure someone will correct me if so) but I believe the current version of the compiler can be purchased as a dongleless version but does still supports dongles if you have them. Those who want to get the next upgrade will be required purchase a dongless registration (updates between upgrades remain free) to obtain it.
 

Hello everyone, I wanted to know if the version that can be purchased on ebay is the version without a protection  dongle?

Thank you in advance.

Have a nice day

That's correct although there are other in built-in protections.

Thanks Bob I tried to buy it just now but eBay reports: product not available. Would it be possible to have a new link to be able to buy it?

Thank you in advance.

Moscrash

In that case I suggest you PM Les (TOP204). He'll sort you out. Money well spent in IMHO. 

Stephen - many thanks for your comments there.   I hadn't considered approaching someone who has moved to the dongleless version but as you point out it may be more convenient to just upgrade anyway.
I'm retired these days so don't need Proton for my work and only do hobby projects.  Over the years I managed to transport my dongle between home and work each day and only once misplaced it for a rather panicy hour or so.
As an older engineer I missed out on the whole micro scene but had strong hardware skills.  Getting the compiler in its early days totally empowered me to compete with the younger engineers and gave me the best of both worlds. After years of being stuck in the CMOS era this was truly a life changing experience.  Perhaps I owe it to Les to upgrade.....

Cheers,
David

David, I always find your posts spot on and professional. Your background shows.
Every purchase helps keep food on the table for Les. Well worth doing even apart from having the latest version.
John

Hello John
   Will there be a difference in price (if it has been figured out) between a full purchase and and an upgrade,
I want to support Proton to keep it going as I have hundreds of projects I have done over the years and am to old to learn any other Programming language.
Gary

   

Hello Gary,
I don't really know the answer.
I believe we get updates (fixes) free but pay for upgrades.
3.7.5.4 is an upgrade and we pay for the extra features. 3.7.5.5 is an update as would others in the sequence, perhaps until we see 3.8.0.0 (my guess only).
As I see it, by buying the upgrade we keep bread on the table for Les.
I think Les said that upgrades would be infrequent but he'll need to answer that question.
Best wishes
John

Hi John
I was on Ebay earlier today and saw a listing for proton & proton 24 compiler (LAST ONE).  I would be willing to bet that the last one will not be there for long....
Regards HAL

O No the last one, I better get going, if this Covid 19 thing gets worse there could be a run on Proton.
I remember what happend to Paper products last time in the States.
Better stock up on Proton while you still can...........

Has Les let anybody know what super secret things he is working on, If I had his Brains I would toss mine out.
Gary

Ahhhh bless you Gary. It is so good to converse with such good people as there are on this forum. :-)

I have been working on a "unique" project, but I do not have a salesman's mind, or a marketing mind, so I always get lost and it has been on hold for a few years now. Its prototype is built and working nicely! but on hold. It is something that does not exist on the planet and is such a lovely item for kiddies in bed, relaxing as they go to sleep.

Maybe one day I will find someone who is interested, but it scares me so much to go on these funding sites etc, because they are so full of thieves and villians who are just looking for something good that they can steal!

Hello
  I  teach School Science part time, twice a week and working with a boys group every week I have made a lot of projects using Proton the last fifteen or so years, I think I could not have done that with any other Compiler.
and knowing on  the Forum some of the Smartest people with big Hearts who could ask for more.
Gary