Railmaster Licenses

[DobsonA]

Hello!
I am looking at Railmaster and I was wondering if there was a limit on the number of computers you can install the software on. I am looking at perhaps getting a new laptop in the near future, and I don't wan't to buy the software twice. Answers

would be nice.

[LMSTim]

One copy per PC, although you can install a full (activated) copy on one and an evaluation copy which supports upto four points/signals and two locos.

You can move th activation from one PC to another by deactivating one and reactivating the other

and you can do that any number of times.

[PAC]

most software licences allow use on more than one machine. But only one user.

[LMSTim]

You can use your one RailMaster CD to install on as many PCs as you like. ONly one can be made a full copy, i.e. control unlimited locos, points and so on. The others limit control to four points/signals and two locos. Remember that you can deactivate

on one PC and activate on another to use the full version between machines.

At £60 (£45 street price) for such a useful piece of software (the price of just one LNER teak coach) you can't expect to use it on more than one PC. How may PCs would you like

to to use it on! And how many PCs are you going to connect to your one layout!

[DobsonA]

Thanks for your help everyone.

LMSTim, i meant to say that I would be upgrading my laptop and selling my current one on. I would only every use one PC per layout. Your comments are noted though!

[Brightstar]

I have a copy of the software and I am not happy that the licence is limited to one PC.

Normally, doomstic use software is licenced for at least two PCs, so that you can have it on a desktop machine and a portable machine. Alternatively, once registered

the software can be loaded on to any number of machines, but you need the CD to be in the drive to run the software. I need to install it on the computer in the computer room, connected to a touch screen monitor and also on a touch screen notebook to take

to exhibitions, without having to de-register it on one machine and re-registering it on another and have to reconfigure it each time.

I think I will use JMRI on both machines, and load Railmaster on the portable computer and connect it to the relevant

layout as required. This will allow me to compare the two systems.

[LMSTim]

Brightstar. JMRI is a free piece of software so you can install it on any number of machines. RailMaster is commercial and at £60 you can't expect to be able to install it on more than one machine. Deactivation and Activation takes a matter of seconds

so there really isn't a problem there.

Having a copy of the CD in the PC to run it won't work because someone could just copy the CD and have the software running on umpteen PCs.

The whole idea of RailMaster is that it makes playing with trains

much easier than the likes of JMRI, which is a real pig to set up and get working. People just want to get on with it and not spend their lives configuring the software. And even when that is doen JMRI just isn't easy to use.

[Rog RJ]

LMSTim said:Brightstar. JMRI is a free piece of software so you can install it on any number of machines. RailMaster is commercial and at £60 you can't expect to be able to install it on more than one machine. Deactivation and Activation takes a matter

of seconds
so there really isn't a problem there.Having a copy of the CD in the PC to run it won't work because someone could just copy the CD and have the software running on umpteen PCs.The whole idea of RailMaster is that it makes playing with trains


much easier than the likes of JMRI, which is a real pig to set up and get working. People just want to get on with it and not spend their lives configuring the software. And even when that is doen JMRI just isn't easy to use.
I don't think this is entirely

correct as the disk type (burned on PC or printed in a factory) can be identified in software

[SkyCube]

Meh, seems a bit stingy to me. A lot of commercial software allows several installs. What harm is allowing a user to install on two machines rather than one going to do. I doubt the Model Railway community is computer literate enough for Hornby to have

to worry about Piracy much anyway.

While I can understand some limit, to stop people installing it on the computers of everyone at the local MRC, really petty DRM restrictions like this only serve to annoy legitimate users (like DobsonA). Pirates

aren't generally effected. Even Steve Jobs admits this.

[Technician]

Most software for home use allows for 3 instalations 1 is just very poor. Not happy as i have just put it on our main pc to design the layout but its an old pc i use in the loft to control the layout. I am not going to be luging an expensive laptop up

and down a loft ladder
especialy when the wife is useing it to watch ebay etc.

[Mike_G]

Hi all

I was also a bit dissapointed about this limit
When they said it was possible to network them I was intending
to have 2 laptops connected so 2 people could control my layout
but it means i have to buy 2 programs
not realy worth

it so thats been scrapped for the moment
i also went with the hornby system as it promissed every thing i needed
ie: train detection / idetifacation
have got to the point now have been waiting for this to arrive so i can get on ballasting my track
but

its still vapour wear at the moment and reading between the lines is going to be expensive and not quite what was indicated,,

Mike

[LMSTim]

When you compare the price of RailMaster (RRP £65, although street price is £45) against the likes of Railroad & Co at over £350, then RailMaster represents fantastic value. It's the cost of one Pullman coach and provides far more pleasure and joy than

one coach.

Where did you "read between the lines" that loco detection will be expensive!

Perhaps too many people speculating without the proper facts.

It always makes me laugh that people will happily buy, for ezample, a £500 ipad or phone

and baulk at paying a tiny fraction of that to make the device useful,

[Mike_G]

Hi LMSTim

The price of the software is not dear I give you
it the restrictive use of it that bites
if it allowed a second or third laptop to be cloned to the first over the network this would
make it a more viable setup,,, through software

it could be enabled only if the main instalation was running,,, no chance then of installing it on all an any ones laptop as a freeby,,,, this could be done through direct network cables not over the wifi,,, and direct connection this way would be faster anyway

than wifi
even a small node charge would be acceptable like this ( say a tenner pe node )
overall is a good bit if kit
But is very slow in coming to the market ( detection )
as to price,,, there have been threads on this before were different possible

systems
have been put forward,,, and this is the main reason for speculation
the not knowing what they intend to bring forward
most ways of implementaion already exist from other systems
to be of any use it needs to know were an object is and what

it is ( loco position,id,direction and speed of travel ) it needs to report back to the elite/railmaster
and display this on the screen,,,, and then the software/operator needs to be able to react to this info,,,, and this is just the locos,, what about

the rolling stock,,
its not the hardwear thats the problem its the software and copyright thats the stumbling block here i think
with me i bought the Elite and have a select as a slave when i started to build my layout
I bought Railmaster as soon

as it was available because i saw the idear was a good one
and i am very pleased with the system,,, and i can see its being improved all the time
now if Hornby could open up just a little and say something like ( you need to allow to place a small divice

under the track/baseboard that will need say a 3mm hole for the detection head to be placed so that is say level with the sleeper tops in each place that you need to detect/report a loco passing,,, then ok i could drill the holes ready for when it arrives

and get on with the ballasting and senery on my layout,,,, but at the moment its stand still and wait,,,, for how long !!!!! ?????
this detection system is an important asspect of Hornbys Railmaster project and the delay and lack of info is the annoying

point more than the cost

hope this explains my stance on this, and dont think i am a Hornby knocker i am not
and have always been quick to take Hornbys corner on other sites when the septics start running them down

RGS
Mike

[m0eoujohn]

all hornby wants to do is sell more copies / more money in their pockets it is not right you should at least be able use it fully on 2 pcs

[m0eoujohn]

i wonde what trading standards would say on this subject

[poliss]

Trading Standards wouldn't say anything as single user licences are quite common these days.

[LMSTim]

And while we're at it Hornby should also give us a free loco whenever we buy a loco and also give us free DCC controllers since we're buying their locos, oh and free wagons and coaches!

I can't believe my eyes. "Trading Standards"??? Why not call

the Police and throw them all in prison for daring to try and make a profit. Have you seen their share price. Investors are telling them to INCREASE prices!

RailRoad & Co, a similar package, is over £400!!!! They even charge an extra 28 euros just to

have a PDF manual. And you complain aboout Hornby and the measely street price of £45 (the price of one coach) to revolutionise your enjoyment of railway modelling. Do you have any idea what it costs to bring a package like RailMaster from the drawing board

to the market?

I will never understand how some peoples' minds work.

[96RAF]

I don't see Microsoft letting you install Windows or Office on up to 3 machines for the price of a single licence.
Nice if they did, although they did flog a 3 licence upgrade to Win7 for a while, but it was more expensive that the single user version.
Rob