Hi Nightcabbage
I am a Cubase 7 user (a mostly happy one) but I agree with you, I’ve just had a look at the Trial download page and it does seem to intimate that you have to have a USB e-licencer which I would have thought is a bit brainless, I can’t believe that that is the case however! I do know that some of the other products use an “e-licencer” which one downloads, have you tried to contact Steinberg customer service direct, it seems silly that one should have to but…
Best Regards
Dave