
Kensington Security Slot - larsberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Security_Slot
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edw519
Or you could just wear "iPad-Compatible Clothing"...

<http://www.scottevest.com/company/ipad.shtml>

(Scroll down and check out the picture of Woz with his iPad in his iPad-
compatible jacket. Hilarious.)

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stcredzero
My tc1100 slate has this. It makes the thing _much less mobile_. No surprise
there, since this is the purpose of the slot and the lock that goes in it.

However, it also interferes with the purpose of the iPad. Imagine how you'd
like to use a sketchpad that was chained to the desk.

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dagw
I don't think anybody is advocating keeping it chained to your desk while
using it. I imagine it is more along the lines of being able to pop in a lock
when you go to grab a coffee or go to the bathroom and unlocking it when you
come back.

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stcredzero
I should think that locking it in a drawer or carrying it with you are much
more convenient and secure. For one thing, it isn't obviously visible.

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bmelton
But I so seldom have access to lockable drawers in the coffee shop.

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stcredzero
Then you should carry it with you.

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bmelton
To the bathroom? Ew.

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mootothemax
False sense of security? A bit of a coincidence, I've been looking at bicycle
locks before this and can't help but think that the cables used in Kensington
security locks could practically be cut through by a pair of scissors, let
alone cutters actually made for the job!

Edit: I /really/ need glasses, ipAd not ipOd...

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aplusbi
I once tried to cut a bike brake cable with a pair of diagonal cutters. It
didn't work - and that thing is less than 1/8" in diameter (and is meant to be
cut). The Kensington locks are made of thicker, strong cables and though still
fairly flimsy, are going to require cable cutters to break.

In the end it's all about risk management - what's the probability that
someone goes to a coffee shop specifically to steal a laptop and is armed with
cable cutters? And if they have cable cutters, are they going to bother to use
them to steal your laptop, or are they going to steal the laptop next to yours
that's not locked up?

FWIW, I take my laptop into the bathroom with me.

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icegreentea
It's very hard to cut the cable with standard lock cutters. There are specific
cable cutters (usually used in construction) work that can cut through the
cable a lot easier though.

Unfortunately, the weakest part of the locks is either the lock itself, or the
slot on the laptop. My friend recently had his MBP stolen when someone just
ripped out the lock from the slot (so theres presumably a huge gash in the
side of it now). We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but we're
pretty sure it was something like those hydraulic jaws inserted between the
lock and the body of the laptop.

Really, the ideal behind the lock is to deter theft by people who want to
resale the laptop after. Anyhow who is willing to use a damaged laptop, or has
customers who don't care where the laptop comes from can just continue to
steal stuff more or less nilly willy.

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pclark
it seems like the Kensington Security Slot is an interesting market that
Kensington pretty much have a monopoly over. Does anyone know how they got to
this point?

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smackfu
"The designer met with each of the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and
convinced each computer manufacturer to add a small, security slot in their
laptop designs. Compaq was the first OEM to incorporate the Kensington
security slot in 1991."

[http://uk.kensington-
press.com/news/article.aspx?id=232&...](http://uk.kensington-
press.com/news/article.aspx?id=232&core=E)

The also are very open with the details, not trying to charge a licensing fee
or anything: <http://us.kensington.com/html/1356.html>

