In response to my comments, in part
The real issue is not whether or not one can continue to use Finale; it is whether one can access the information in a given set of Finale files. Neither the survival of Finale, nor the creation of an Escrowed untether is the critical step in the process here, in my opinion. The truly critical element here is for each user to make certain that every data file considered critical are stored in an accessible format.
d. collins wrote:
Well, this is where I completely disagree with you. If all your worried about is printing your files, why don't you simply back them up as PDFs?
While I did make a comment earlier in the thread about printing the files via Notepad (which partially addresses the question of continued accessibility of Finale files in the event of the failure of the company, or inability or unwillingness to continue to provide authentication codes), that is not what I mean here by "accessibility". I use the word here in the sense that, because of the public accessibility of information regarding the the file formats used by Finale, and the accessibility of the data in an ~.ETF file (by which I mean it can be read with an ASCII editor), it is (in my opinion) probable, that in addition to the immediate capability of being able to print out the contents of Finale files with Notepad, that a successor product will be available which will allow Finale files to be read, edited, and written to some other accessible format. Of course, that program may also only be available under a limited, non-exclusive license, and it is entirely possible that the successor software will also require some sort of authentication scheme.
I've found it necessary, on account of hard drive failure, to reinstall 2k4 three times, and the biggest inconvenience I experienced was having to wait until the Finale office opened later in the morning, to call and request a new authentication code. Considering that reinstalling the software more than one working day, there was really not an inconvenience here, nor was I, IMO, victimized.
ns
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