MB Air - No Security Slot??

[DMann]

wireless security

Didn't you guys know? They replaced it with a wireless lock

True! And furthermore, most Fortune 500 corporations have security cameras, many which are also wireless.

 

[samh004]

I bought a lock at Best Buy when they were really cheap but I've never actually used it. I just find I never leave my MacBook Pro anywhere unattended outside of my apartment.

I locked mine up in my apartment during the day in NZ. Sure, I had insurance so if anyone burgled me I could claim it back, but that wouldn't help me with all the lost files and lack of computer.

I plan to lock my MB up during the day in my room when at uni, if it's not with me.

I can't believe Apple couldn't have included a security slot in the MBA, but I guess it's just one of those things you overlook, like FW800 on the 15" MBP, they got it back in there very fast. I don't doubt the security slot will make an appearance come rev. b.

 

[DTphonehome]

Jeez, why is this an issue? Just have your butler watch it for you.

 

[DMann]

Watch

Jeez, why is this an issue? Just have your butler watch it for you.

Be sure not to overlook his bonus on holidays.............. inside jobs are on the rise.

 

[naroola]

What's the big deal? You know Apple will release a revolutionary new companion product called "iLock" for the Macbook Air... only $99. It will be the smallest, lightest but most powerful lock for the MBA, and... it will run OSX.

 

[MacFly123]

No remote either!

That kind of sucks. I also noticed that it does NOT have the Apple Remote, which I think would be pretty annoying since it is catered toward on the go people and business people that would want that for Keynote Presentations.

 

[MacFly123]

Nope never have. When I'm in class if I have to leave I just close it, put it into sleep mode and take it with me

Me too. I would NEVER leave mine alone even for a second. But I can understand that people would want and need that at times.

 

[musicpenguy]

Didn't you know - a hidden feature is that in sleep mode it electricutes anyone who doesn't have your fingerprints !

Just Kidding

I am curious how Apple will display these in the store - if the Apple Employees will now have to look after these vary carefully or something

 

[xXriderXx7]

They didnt need to include a security slot because you are meant to carry around your Air in a manilla envelope, and nobody would suspect a laptop being encased in one.

 

[djgamble]

I personally have a MBP and use the security slot every day as I work at a university and my MBP is my main computer; whether it's in my office, in a lecture room or somewhere else I often have times where I just want to leave it on a desk. I actually tie it down at home as well because it's so easy to steal if someone breaks into my house.

When I was a uni student my G5 iMac had a security chain as well. I lived in a dorm and had the thing chained to my table.

With Apple's convenient designs I think people can steal machines more easily, no one thinks anything of a person walking through the corridor with a laptop or an iMac in their hands. A big PC tower however... people tend to wonder where you're going with it.

These comments about people tucking a MacBook Air into their pants are quite serious, all I'd have to do is leave a MacBook Air out the front of a lecture room and I'm quite sure if I left my eyes off it for 2 seconds someone could steal it and have it concealed very easily… and they're not cheap either! My MBP cost less than a MacBook Air, and it's a "pro" machine!

 

[jnc]

What if someone just spilt coffee or dropped a heavy book on your MacBook while it was unattended? (Accidentally or out of spite )

With thought patterns like that, you can see why I never ever leave my MacBook alone, be it locked or not. Hell, if your hands are occupied you could easily carry the MBA under your arm, or with your chin... or yes, as suggested, down your pants

 

[diehldun]

Everyone who owns a MBP/MB in my college uses the security slot to lock their laptops down in the dorms. I would consider students to be careless if they did not do so...

I completely agree with you, and am actually surprised by others who find it ridiculous or pointless to lock their MBPs/MBs whilst in college. Whenever my MBP is in my room, automatically the FIRST thing I do when I enter is lock it. I also activate iAlertU when I'm off to the bathroom. One room down the hall got broken into a few weeks ago, and an unknown intruder tried to wrench-away the lock from his MBP; it didn't work, and although the owner later had to send it in to repair the damaged casing, it did not get stolen. This is a $50,000+ per year institution, and I really don't think switching schools would make a difference; it's college and there are unfortunately both good and bad folks around. Call me paranoid, but I'm not willing to risk loosing both a $3000 investment, as well as all my data, essays, etc., FileVault or not.

Quite frankly, many of my classmates/friends who are currently interested in the MacBook Air (somehow it's still wierd for me to write 'MBA') probably will stop considering it once they find out the missing security slot; they ALL have locks on their MBPs/MBs, believe it or not, even the "Paris Hilton" types. Unless Apple rectifies this relatively-simple issue, it is highly unlikely I will ever consider purchasing one in the near future. It is that serious of an omission on Apple's part, coming from a college student's perspective, which I would imagine is quite a large market.

 

[moominuk]

there are far too many ways to get rid of the lock, its a waste of time, so I have never used one.
Ive seen all sorts of methods, such as this one using a toilet roll:
http://www.toool.nl/kensington623.wmv
(sorry about the wmv!)

Also, if you really want to steal the laptop, it just takes some wire cutters.

I never leave the laptop lying around with people I dont trust. An expensive laptop left alone in a room full of people you dont trust is never a good idea.

What you need is your data encrypted, you machine not set to automatically login, good data backups and insurance. IF your laptop gets stolen, get it replaced and put your data back, sorted!

 

[ryanw]

Didn't you know - a hidden feature is that in sleep mode it electricutes anyone who doesn't have your fingerprints !

Just Kidding

I am curious how Apple will display these in the store - if the Apple Employees will now have to look after these vary carefully or something

Dude, awesome point! If this was an oversight, I think they'll realize something is wrong once they go to put these things on display. All the macbook pro's are security locked up along with all the other macs there.

Interesting...

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Didn't you guys know? They replaced it with a wireless lock

LOL. That actually made me laugh out loud.

Not that I actually use the slot, but I do think it was a bad idea not to include it.

I first heard about this on a podcast.

I would never use said lock because a) I am too paranoid about my mac and bring it with me anywhere., b) it takes a small wire-cutter to do the job of any easily transportable lightweight lock like the Kensington.

Anyways, for academics working in an office that usually never close it's a must if they do not have a good lock on the door.

 

[ryanw]

there are far too many ways to get rid of the lock, its a waste of time, so I have never used one.
Ive seen all sorts of methods, such as this one using a toilet roll:
http://www.toool.nl/kensington623.wmv
(sorry about the wmv!)

Also, if you really want to steal the laptop, it just takes some wire cutters.

I never leave the laptop lying around with people I dont trust. An expensive laptop left alone in a room full of people you dont trust is never a good idea.

What you need is your data encrypted, you machine not set to automatically login, good data backups and insurance. IF your laptop gets stolen, get it replaced and put your data back, sorted!

Locks keep the not-so-serious thieves at bay. If someone was a "serious thief" they'd just walk up to you and say, "give me your laptop" while wearing a mask or something. I'm sure 90% of the people would hand over their laptop even in a crowd because they wouldn't want to find out if the guy had a gun or knife or something.

I heard about people getting jumped on the street and get their iPods stolen. Locks generally discourage thieves enough to have them look for someone who isn't using one. Their thoughts are that there are enough people who don't use a lock, why risk taking the one with the lock?

 

[6mt15]

I've never used a lock, but many of my friends have them. I've left my MB alone at university's library countless times, and never had a problem. If I'm not with friends, I just ask whoever is sitting near me to keep an eye on it. I'm sure many people feel it is a necessity, but where would it go?? I've never seen a laptop lock that was less than half an inch thick, and usually about an inch long, to accomodate the combo or key hole. that means if you tried to put one on the side of an MBA, it would lift the whole machine off the desk. A design flaw in the locks that will have to be fixed before apple solves this complaint.

 

[Am3822]

What's the big deal? You know Apple will release a revolutionary new companion product called "iLock" for the Macbook Air... only $99. It will be the smallest, lightest but most powerful lock for the MBA, and... it will run OSX.

Well, there is the stuff from orbicule, but I do agree that not including anti-theft devices is a problem, especially since the thing is so lightweight and small.

 

[mdtsuk]

Locks keep the not-so-serious thieves at bay. If someone was a "serious thief" they'd just walk up to you and say, "give me your laptop" while wearing a mask or something. I'm sure 90% of the people would hand over their laptop even in a crowd because they wouldn't want to find out if the guy had a gun or knife or something.

I heard about people getting jumped on the street and get their iPods stolen. Locks generally discourage thieves enough to have them look for someone who isn't using one. Their thoughts are that there are enough people who don't use a lock, why risk taking the one with the lock?

I agree entirely, I lock my laptop to my desk when left overnight (as I don't want to carry is everywhere I go, no matter how light), as does everyone in the investment bank I work at. Cleaners that are not generally thieves could be tested if there is nothing stopping them from simply lifting an expensive lightweight laptop off a desk.

True! And furthermore, most Fortune 500 corporations have security cameras, many which are also wireless.

Cameras are usually in entrances and lobby's. you won't spot a .76 inch thin laptop in someones bag!

Seems like an oversight by Apple, such a simple facility to include, and likely to put off corporate workers/executives who actually know this before buying.

 

[wongulous]

Never once have I felt safe enough to leave my laptop, locked or otherwise, alone in a potentially-publicly-accessible area. I mean, I'll put it in my messenger bag that just looks like a manpurse and leave that with my lunch while I run to the bathroom at Panera, but not if there's only like one person around. I figure if nobody's around it's probably safe, and if it's really busy, it's probably safe... but anyway, with great passwords, a security program, openfirmware password, and an encrypted disk, plus a registered serial, somebody'd have to rip it apart and take out the HDD and still never be able to exercise the warranty or anything.. and if they turned it on before doing that, they'd be caught red-handed (red-faced? iChat-faced?).

 

[57004]

Yikes ... this is a real problem!

Leaving your laptop unattended in a coffee shop isn't the problem. The problem is in corporate america (the rich man or woman who this "thin" laptop is appealing to) are required to lock their laptops up at their desks these days. I have PERSONALLY seen a laptop walk from my desk in a large fortune 500 company.

Not just in America. When I was working at a large telecom company in Holland in 2000, one of my colleagues had one taken from his desk during lunchtime - he just managed to catch a glimpse of the guy leaving through the stairwell. They tried to look for the guy but in a building with 2500 people it's easy to disappear..

Anyway, even back then we were provided with kensington locks to lock our laptops into our docking stations. The guy who had it stolen was one of the few who didn't use it. It's a shame but in today's world an office is not a safe place anymore.

If Apple are targeting these at corporate users, they should really provide one. But then again, they should also have provided ethernet. But seriously, which large corporation uses Apple laptops on a large scale? I think you'd be hard pressed trying to even find one that would support Mac OS X as a corporate desktop OS.

By the way, I think the lack of a security slot is due to the thinness of the MBA. Kensington-style locks are usually very bulky and I don't think there would be a place that would be thick enough to accommodate one. The laptop would be hanging off the lock because the lock would be a lot thicker. Edit: Sorry, 6mt15 made this point as well, didn't see it before I posted.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Those cables never struck me as being very secure...

I mean, what if the person who wants to take the laptop has a wielding torch or BFG? Heck, I'm sure you can just yank on it and it would come right out.

But if you're really concerned... I'd say use a bike chain or something and just wrap it around a bunch of times on the joint of the laptop and to whatever anchor point you want.

 

[mckyvlle]

Yes, the Kensington locks probably isn't the most secure way to lock down a portable Mac. That said, and oft repeated in this thread is that the lock is meant to deter casual/opportunistic thieves. If you're in a college or some place where backpacks are norm, it's very easy for a thief to swipe a laptop and hide it in a backpack :/

My college recommends locking a laptop to the desk at all times. Then if the laptop is to be left alone for extended periods of time, eg lunch or overnight, then it has to be locked inside a drawer or cabinet.

Heck, I'm sure you can just yank on it and it would come right out.

If it's yanked out, I'm quite sure the plastic/metal surrounding the lock will be damaged. No good for the thief trying to sell the laptop, as it would alert a buyer that the good is 'hot'.

 

[cmendill]

It's so thin and light, you can just take it with you. Tuck it in your pants or something.

Yeah, doesn't it fit inside that little pocket within your normal sized pocket. I always wondered what the pocket was for...

 

[xUKHCx]

Yeah, doesn't it fit inside that little pocket within your normal sized pocket. I always wondered what the pocket was for...

I use it to store my usb thumb drive and sometimes coins

According to steve, iPod nano.