I'm about to purchase my copy of Shorthand 10 and am a bit confused about which type of license I should be buying. Is it just me, or is their web site a bit obscure?

I want to be able to install SH on both my desktop and laptop computers (the latter to use while traveling, not so the program can be used simultaneously by more than one person).

I assume I want the non-expiring single-user license at $99. However:

I also see many references here at PT to people installing SH on a jump drive, but the SH web site specifically says the program cannot be run (using the nonexpiring license) from a jump/flash drive, and that if this is what you need to do you should be buying the time-limited license. Is this something new? I don't think I'll be needing to run it from a jump drive, but want to be sure just in case.

Also: I don't understand why it is necessary to register my computer(s) with them in order to install. Can someone explain?

Last, it seems strange that the most expensive license (the nonexpiring one) does not allow any updates over time, but the time-limited licenses do. Since I've been using PRD+ for the last 15 years or so, I am hopelessly out of date on this concept. I'd love someone to explain it to me! Are the days of reasonable periodic updates gone? I know that GearPlayer offers updates every so often, maybe once or twice a year, at no cost to me.

Thanks for all the help -- this site has been invaluable in teaching this very old dog some new tricks, and I'm grateful to all of you.

It's been a long time since I've looked at Shorthand, but yes, at some point they apparently did change their licensing.

"NOTE: Non-expiring licenses are keyed to your local hard drive so cannot be installed on removable drives (e.g. USB flash drives, jump drives, thumb drives) or on a network server. You should get a Time-Limited license (e.g. a 30 day or 1 year license) if you plan to use Shorthand on removable drives or on a network server. "

You would need to check with Shorthand as to whether that nonexpiring license would let you install the program on two different computers--my guess is that you would need to buy two nonexpiring licenses to do that because the license is going to lock itself to the computer the program is first installed on. You wouldn't even be able to reinstall on a new computer unless SH has some kind of provision for calling them to get a reinstall license of some kind--and they don't mention that. (The "nonexpiring" license also does not provide you with upgrades. Basically, although the license will technically never expire, they're betting that either your current computer or your current operating system will within a few years, and you'll then need to buy again even though that previous license is still theoretically valid.)

As for running the program "uninstalled" as is discussed in various threads here, I'd guess you'd need the time-limited license to do that successfully these days, but one of the SH users here can probably address that question better.

According to their licensing agreement, the nonexpiring license can be used by "a single person on one or more computers, or installed on a single workstation used nonsimultaneously by multiple people, but not both." This part seems pretty clear to me -- I can use the software on my laptop or my desktop, but not both at the same time.

The license is "nontransferrable to other persons or companies," but when I need a new computer I should still be able to use my unexpiring license on my new computer.

But now I'm reconsidering the "expiring license" option because of the availability of periodic updates, even though it will uindoubtedly be more expensive over the long run.

Hoping to hear from other SH users before I need to make the purchase.

Thanks, Sheila.