illumineX software for Mac OS X uses a license key locked to the Host ID of the Macintosh system that you used to register the software. Happily, our license policy allows you to install and use the product on any computer that you own, and we have taken several steps to make it as easy as possible for you to manage your license keys on all your computers.

iX Connection

Any time of day or night, you can visit our web site, and log into the iX Connection using your email address. Here you can add additional Macintosh systems to your license registry. A new registration key code will be immediately generated and added to your account. After the key has been added to your account, you can install the key using the "Retreive Existing Key..." button on the license registry in our software on your new computer. Alternatively, you can enter the keys manually in the license registry. Using iX Connection, you can also reset your password, change your email address and your contact information in case you move. If you have never logged in, or have forgotten your password, you can request that password be emailed to you as long as you know the email address that you used when you registered your software.

Why host-locked licenses? Customers these days demand a "try before you buy" opportunity. People have been burned too many times by poor quality software that didn't reveal the bugs until after the box was opened and the money paid. We are confidant that we make quality software, and we want you to be confident in your purchase, so we offer free download and restricted use for all of our software products. Besides, we want to try before we buy from software vendors, too. The modern software sales process is complicated somewhat by the fact that the "try before you buy" model came from the world of "Shareware" software. People have been trained by years of shareware that "registering is optional". Many fine shareware products are funded on the basis of contributions by a small number of people, and the spare time of the developer. Shareware vendors also typically ignore the rampant piracy of their registration codes on the internet. Some vendors estimate that four times as many users have "borrowed" registration keys. illumineX provides high-quality, supported, commercial software at shareware prices. In order to fund continuing development of exciting new software for Mac OS X, we need to encourage people to register the products. All these factors led us to the conclusion that we needed to use host-locked license keys, and provide a well-supported and easy to use registration system. We appreciate your support, and look forward to developing many new software products for Mac OS X.

License Registry - Retrieve Existing Key

In the event that you lose a key on a system you have already registered, (suppose you re-install the software for some reason) you can easily retrieve your key by installing the software, opening the License Registry panel, and pressing the "Retrieve Existing Key" button. If you are connected to the internet, the software will contact our secure server, find your key, and automatically install it for you.

Free email support

Registered users of illumineX software receive free email support. If you send in a software defect report, please include information which would help us reproduce the problem you experience, including what type of Macintosh you have, and anything else that might be relevant.

Philosophy Bits

OK, here's the deal. We love creating great software for Mac OS X. We love it a lot, probably more than makes any kind of rational sense. But the reality is, we've got bills to pay, pets to feed, and what is it the Car Talk guys say... Oh, yeah: "A boat payment to make". Actually, I don't think any of us own a boat. Probably too busy writing software. Anyway, back to the point...

The Dark Ages Are Over

We've been developers for a long time, and we've built some great software for a lot of systems. There's really something special about Mac OS X that set's it apart -- nothing about it reminds us of a dungeon of despair. It's not a rack, nor an iron coffin with spikes inside. It's not even a ball and chain. Unlike that other system from Redmond, it's not a regular impediment to the daily affairs of humankind, and it's not a measurable productivity drain on the global economy. Mac OS X is secure, stable, and modern.

In a nutshell, Mac OS X doesn't suck. It's really the first time in the history of general purpose computing that this can be said. At long last, the dark ages are over.

In a practical sense, Mac OS X is totally compatible with the modern standards of the internet world. We can develop software for the internet, and it doesn't matter if the customers are using Windows, Linux, or Macintosh systems. It also happens to be the best platform for developing internet software.

And we don't want 'em back

We want Mac OS X to thrive, and to be around for a while, for purely selfish reasons. We can't imagine going back to daily development work on Windows. We like developing for the internet using Mac OS X, and we like developing native Cocoa software for Mac OS X (Cocoa is a developer's dream come true). We consider building software for Mac OS X to be our contribution to a healthy and vibrant market for Mac OS X.

So the bottom line is this: We love making quality software for Mac OS X, and we'll continue as long as it pays the bills. Thank you for your support!