Response from PowerLOC/HSTC!

Ninja Monkey · 01-25-2005, 02:27 PM

I got another email from the guy at Destinator Europe regarding my Frontend. It's sort of good news for me but not so good for a certain other person here.

The creepy thing is, it looks like someone from Destinator has been watching these forums from the very beginning, the way they mention the 2 steps of "hacking" the DLL....

Quote:

Hi Shaun,

Thank you very much for your mail answer I received at the 20th of January.

Let me tell you something more about the reason I was surprised about your activities…

My technical colleagues told me, that there is a Destinator PC version on the market which can be used for actual PC with XP OS and something like that. We as Destinator made a decision that we don’t want to sell and support any PC version of Destinator because the number of sellable licences is so small that it doesn’t make any sense…

But as we learned, there is a version on the market (Netherlands, Poland, France…) which can be used on PC without any registration or activation. The technical base of this version must be yours! The problem is the following. You used a free SDK version of Destinator which can handle map material with a size of 3MB. That is the legal part of your activities…

Somebody has changed the settings of this software version to open the software for maps with 50 MB in a first step and with a limit of 900 MB in a second step. If these guys find map material on the web, they can use a full Destinator with all functions incl map material without any registration, activation and without any licence payment.

And exactly this modified software version is offered on your website for free download. My colleagues told me that they don’t think that you have modified/cracked the ..dll. We think that is was cracked by another guy from Spain… That is the problem. Your free Destinator with cracked .dll is offered on the web from different illegal resellers… That’s what I want and need to stop asap.

Please stop offering your solution with cracked .dll on your entire URL. It is no problem to offer your version for free with the “regular” .dll which supports only maps with a size of max. 3 MB – but please – not more!

If you want to become a reseller for legal maps and applications – you are very welcome.

Best regards - Andreas

CdRsKuLL · 01-25-2005, 02:40 PM

interesting.. It might be an idea to ask powerloc how much they would want to charge for a working dll that does everything we need.. We could tie in a unlock / reg code that would in effect make sure that the person bought the dll from them and got a activation code to enable the extra features. I would hope though if they want to start charging for a working dll, that it does actually work, with the rest of the needed features finished and the bigs fixed. What do u think ?

CdR

Ninja Monkey · 01-25-2005, 02:46 PM

The problem with that is it requires more development on the PC side, which they obviously aren't prepared to do "because the number of sellable licences is so small that it doesn’t make any sense…"

I replied asking how much a I would be able to purchase a license for if I were to become a reseller. That way I could offer my frontend for free download but then also be able to offer the DLL and Maps for purchase (as cheaply as I could) on my website.

Enforcer · 01-25-2005, 02:51 PM

Seems like they are being alright about it.

However if they have been watching the forums, then they would know that there is a big market for a PC based one. I know not all the people here that are using your current one would spend on the 'proper' product, but I think there are a lot of 'lurkers' who don't contribute to the forum, by way of posts, would also pick up a copy.

Who is the spanish guy anyway.

Ninja Monkey · 01-25-2005, 03:19 PM

I don't think it'd be wise to say

khemical · 01-25-2005, 03:24 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

Seems like they are being alright about it.

However if they have been watching the forums, then they would know that there is a big market for a PC based one. I know not all the people here that are using your current one would spend on the 'proper' product, but I think there are a lot of 'lurkers' who don't contribute to the forum, by way of posts, would also pick up a copy.

Who is the spanish guy anyway.

I wouldn't consider this a big market. They probably would only consider making a PC version if there was possibility for over 1000 licenses, and no matter how big this community is, I don't think we could come up with that big of a number...

just my $.06

steve

mauri · 01-25-2005, 03:31 PM

I think we are more many of thousand....

However also they should consider that NM has made a great publicity to their sw, and I am sure that also with the version for PPC have had some advantages......

But has they said how much it would cost to purchase a license to use only their modified dll?

EDIT: always that am possible this!

Ninja, you that intend, to develop one dll of yours and possible?
Us of the forum I think we are also prepared to pay something each for your sw, or no guys?

Mauri

Enforcer · 01-25-2005, 03:37 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

I don't think it'd be wise to say

that was a rhetorical question, you should be a bit more relaxed, laid back about the whole thing. Chill

Anyway I don't think it was hacked by a Spaniard.

Ninja Monkey · 01-25-2005, 03:52 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

that was a rhetorical question, you should be a bit more relaxed, laid back about the whole thing. Chill

Anyway I don't think it was hacked by a Spaniard.

oh you

stevieg · 01-25-2005, 04:11 PM

PoweLOC/HSTC - If you're reading this, and you probably are, this is aimed at you...

Please, powerloc don't be so short sighted about the Car PC community. If one of the members on this forum edited a distributable DLL he didn't do it to steal from your company. And it would be a fair statement to say that seeing as there isn't a PC version available you haven't lost anything by him doing that. You have only increased sales of the PPC version as we have had to buy that to use the software.

Just because your (Powerloc) previous versions were not successful perhaps you ought to have a little foresight. I bet your smartphone navigation software isn't an overnight bestseller because at the moment it's a small market. It's the same with the Car PCs

VIA, the leader in the market for Car PC components certainly thinks this year will be the year that Car PCs hit mainstream - as let's face it PDAs are a piece of junk in comparison but cost almost the same.

Check out VIA's display car at CES this year... http://www.thetechlounge.com/article..._pieros&page=4

Just think, at CeBit in March, Destinator 3 could be in it or another car... But you guys at PowerLOC just don't have the foresight to help our hobby become mainstream. If you're noticing the 'hacked' version of the DLL is popular then perhaps the proper version would be popular if you released it??? If there had been an PC activation EXE in the SDK so people could legally activate the software then we wouldn't be in this mess now would we!!!

LOOK... Car PC suppliers are stocking your software because it's good. http://linitx.com/index.php?cPath=88_92
Like with ANY software the MAJORITY of us (including the guy from spain if it's who I think it is) aren't trying to rip you off! We WANT you PowerLOC to be sucessful so you make more of the same...

What I propose to PowerLOC is they re-release the SDK as a special version that has an Activation.EXE to activate the software for use on the PC so no 'hacked DLL' is required, and make it available to registered users of the PPC software - I bet it would only take your developers a few hours to sort out.

That way you, powelok could support us and see what the market's like. Over the next year or so there WILL be more than 1000 possible users. That is fact. Over the last few months, 3 PC magazines have featured Car PCs. The latest issue of the top Car modding magazine 'Revs' said In Car Computing is going to be the next big thing. VIA are selling the Mini-ITX boards and aiming them partly at the Car PC market. There IS a market and it's getting BIGGER ALL THE TIME. Do you want our money or not?

Laidback · 01-25-2005, 06:15 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

but not so good for a certain other person here.

Not really, he only told you how you could do it, he didn't distribute any cracked dll's!

MatrixPC · 01-26-2005, 04:33 PM

I don't think they will come out with a PC verson after Deloue pull the plug on Routis.

stevieg · 01-26-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by MatrixPC

I don't think they will come out with a PC verson after Deloue pull the plug on Routis.

We don't want a PC version we just want to use this PC version legally!

NiN^_^NiN · 01-27-2005, 03:48 AM

I think PowerLoc/HSTC should do this:

Release the SDK again but with the Map size limit removed and a activation file added.

They don't need to worry about updating the stuff or fixing anything as NM frontend basiclly fixes most of the stuff that the SDK doesn't do to well and also it uses the standard DLL they have so adding activtion for using maps and removing the Limit is all they would have to do for NM to let people download it legally

Also to get people to buy the maps for them they should COMBINE all usa maps into one map which should be enough for people to buy the maps for destinator as 1 combined map is what the Carpc people want (USA People anyway)

This way Powerloc will get money from the Carpc market without really doing much at all.

If they could sell the maps to us for a cheaper price without worring about software it would actually allow MP3Car members to buy from them.

Also if they work out some deal with Ziplock with maps then that would cut down piracy in the community

Just my thoughs

Gobby · 01-27-2005, 04:00 AM

I don't think Powerloc realise how big the MP3Car market will possibly grow within the next few years. IF they get their act together now, they could actually capture a large part of the market - even factory fitted units in say 12 months time. If I was the CEO of Powerloc I would be doing lal I could to capture this area of the market and would personally work with Ninja Monkey to resolve the issues and work with him to create a system for market - maybe they should think about creating a system which uses activation as above, license the Map Monkey software and pay royalties to Ninja Monkey everytime they sell a copy with the relevant maps.

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