Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO]

lawrence jackman wrote:

>
> What does he mean by cracking Surfcam????
> Larry

Cracking the program (any program) means writing a software patch to
eliminate the need for a dongle, a password, or some other means of
disabling the software unless you are a registered user. A dongle is a
piece of hardware that connects on the serial port that contains a
circuit enabling a hard/software route through your computer so the
program will sense it and use that route to operate.

There is an active trade of passwords, codes, serial #s, etc., for all
sorts of programs. People advertise what they want and what they have
for trade. There are specific usenet newsgroups and private lists that
cater to this sort of stuff. Many of these are in the Netherlands,
Germany and Russia. Once China really gets connected, all manufacturers
will have a terrible problem. As it is, I think the estimates are that
30% of the software in use is pirated. In China, it is probably closer
to 80%.

A lot of people who have home computers would like to use programs that
are very highly priced for purposes that have nothing to do with earning
a living or even providing much of anything to anyone other than their
own hobby or interest. Programs like Surfcam and Autocad are high
priced and hard to justify. Thus there is a market for pirated copies.
However, I have found that there are lots of programs out there that
will do the same things that the high priced programs will do and are
either shareware, freeware or given out in the same manner that Linux is
given out. I don't see any need to steal. And for a commercial shop
which can amortize its purchases, it is just plain silly to steal a CAM
program, not to mention legally dangerous.

JerryK