MB Air - No Security Slot??

[jnc]

Then what are they going to do at the Apple Stores? They are always locked down there, and like someone pointed out, you could hide one in an envelope and walk out of the store. There must be some way that they can stop these things being stolen. If there isn't, shame.

Behind glass.

 

[Toe]

This might work

Or this, I suppose.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

My iMac and two external hard drives are tethered to a bolts in the wall. I once had a two day old laptop stolen from my house while I was in the shower, they climbed through an upstairs window (50cm wide by 25cm high) that was open.

What you can buy is a stick on Kensington slot. Usually made of plastic, with a very sticky back. Stick it onto the back of you computer and then you can secure it down.

 

[RedTomato]

Where I work we have tried to use them on the iMacs but they have never worked. You can literally spend a half hour or so playing around with them to get them to seat properly. Basically we gave up. Not sure if it's Apple's implementation of the hole or the cable makers implementation of the lock.

I just checked my kensington lock with my new macbook. Works perfectly well no problem. And the white cable and white spongy scratch protector matches the macbook It also works with my old powerbook and ibook.

Even my powermac has a security slot - it's more of a big piece of metal sticking out of the back with a hole for a padlock. (when locked, the case can't be opened either). This is a G3 powermac btw. Not sure if the latest Mac Pros still have it, but I think so.

I also have the classic iMac G3 (strawberry with CRT), but it's in the attic and I don't feel like checking to see if it has a security slot.

 

[PeckhamBog]

Then what are they going to do at the Apple Stores? They are always locked down there, and like someone pointed out, you could hide one in an envelope and walk out of the store. There must be some way that they can stop these things being stolen. If there isn't, shame.

At the Regent Street store I was unable to look at a wireless keyboard because for security they are not displayed.

Pity, because I think now [eight weeks into an 24" 2.4] I would have bought one.

I'm sure the MBAs will tethered with glued on cables.

 

[RedTomato]

At the Regent Street store I was unable to look at a wireless keyboard because for security they are not displayed.

Pity, because I think now [eight weeks into an 24" 2.4] I would have bought one.

I'm sure the MBAs will tethered with glued on cables.

Oh I just bought a wireless keyboard at the Regent Street store. Trying one out was no problem at all. I asked a member of staff, and they went and took one out of the box and let me have a type on it. Didn't hook it up to the computer (too much hassle to pair it) but I was ok with that. It's exactly the same feel as the Macbook keyboard.

Got a pretty good discount on it as it was at the same time as buying a new macbook. TBH I don't use the wireless keyboard all that much, but that's partly cos I don't have a mouse / external monitor.

 

[jnc]

At the Regent Street store I was unable to look at a wireless keyboard because for security they are not displayed.

Pity, because I think now [eight weeks into an 24" 2.4] I would have bought one.

It's a MacBook keyboard... in a silver case, with room for batteries. Couldn't you have just... like... imagined it? Lol. Even if you bought it and didn't like it, you'd still have the 14 days no fuss return.

 

[RedTomato]

It's a MacBook keyboard... in a silver case, with room for batteries. Couldn't you have just... like... imagined it? Lol. Even if you bought it and didn't like it, you'd still have the 14 days no fuss return.

Yes, a couple of years ago I bought the old Pro wireless keyboard and mouse (the hairtrap and food display one), thought it was dreadful (both the keyboard and mouse) and overpriced, and already displaying dirty hairs and crumbs after a couple of hours use.

Gave it a shake upside down and returned it the next week. Full refund no probs. I do understand not wanting to have to commit to coming back to the store tho. I'm dreadful like that with clothes and various junk from Ikea - keep missing the refund period.

 

[notjustjay]

Where I can get this! giev!

http://www.barrysfarm.net/store/single_view/20

I want one!!

 

[zync]

I work at in a secured building on a secured site of a large federal government agency. We are required to use security locks on laptops at all times. (I know of at least two friends in my building who have had their laptops stolen right off of their desks; turned out to be a security guard who stole them.)

I would expect the lack of a security slot to be a serious detriment to corporate sales. Just one of many shortcomings of the MBA. It's a fantastic concept and an amazing job of engineering, but it is fatally flawed in execution. I have to agree with the many posts to the effect that it is the next Cube. Hopefully Steve will get over himself and they will release a fixed version soon instead of just killing it when sales falter.

You see a security slot that can be compromised with a $5 pair of wire cutters as making the MacBook Air fatally flawed? I'd be willing to be that only 5% of companies require you to lock your laptop. That might even be too high of a figure. Almost all of the companies that require such a thing are government agencies, or agencies that work directly with the government.

What else about this MBA is a "shortcoming?" You do realize that the target market for these things is most likely businessmen who travel a lot, right?

I'm all for having the security slot, but it's nothing that's going to stop anyone who wants your laptop from stealing it. You guys are talking about this thing like it's missing an input device.

 

[CP1091]

Well, I guess this is a lesson kids, don't leave your two-thousand dollar laptop sitting around so people can steal it and your data!

 

[zync]

I agree. It's been a few years since I've lived in a dorm, but this leads me to wonder...did they take the locks off of the doors since I left? Seriously, who leaves the door unlocked to take a shower, go to class, or...EVER? Who leaves valuables lying around unattended in libraries and student unions? And honestly, I think your textbooks are more likely to disappear than your laptop, especially around book buy-back time (easier to get away with, too). If you're smart enough to be in college, you should be smart enough to properly care for and look after your things. Just MHO.

If you leave your laptop unattended in public, lock or no lock, you're just begging for it to be stolen! Take it with you!

I was thinking the same thing. Besides, if anyone's willing to bust through your door, they're probably willing to snip a small gauge wire, or break what it's connected to.

 

[janitorC7]

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

I don't use it much either....

but for the traveler I immagine that it must be very important, this was a mistake on apples part

 

[veeco3110]

ive never used a lock for my laptop because its something called RESPONSIBILITIES...dont leave your expensive stuff out in the open.

 

[telecomm]

ive never used a lock for my laptop because its something called RESPONSIBILITIES...dont leave your expensive stuff out in the open.

Spoken like someone who's never owned a bicycle.

 

[thegman1234]

...Yes, it's much cheaper to just buy a new laptop when it gets stolen....

Really? Because I was under the impression that being responsible and not leaving things in an unsafe situation was even cheaper, more like free for that matter.

Spoken like someone who's never owned a bicycle.

Haha lol. Come on now that's different, you can't bring a bicycle into a store.... legally.

 

[tgildred]

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

A tractor beam, if you will.

 

[thegman1234]

A tractor beam, if you will.

Jobs is a Star Trek fan lol. In all seriousness though, I'm surprised Apple hasn't implemented the thumb print technology that's in some of the Toshiba laptops. I don't know much about it, is it faulty?

 

[notjustjay]

Jobs is a Star Trek fan lol. In all seriousness though, I'm surprised Apple hasn't implemented the thumb print technology that's in some of the Toshiba laptops. I don't know much about it, is it faulty?

Prone to false reads (Mythbusters even managed to fool one such scanner with a photocopy of the fingerprint, or something equally trivial). As such, it would not be an approved security device at any company that would actually require a decent level of security. Given that, and space, cost, appearances, etc. I can see why there was no great drive to put one in a Mac.

Really, other than the "gee whiz cool!" tech-toy factor, there's not much point to a fingerprint scanner.

 

[bogman12]

Pretty much any car can be broken into in 20 seconds.

When my dad lost his keys at a music festival, I saw the repair man open his old locked up Volvo car in 5 seconds with a special tyre iron with not a scratch on anywhere.
Same for the Kensington cable slot.

so why not just leave your car door unlocked and the keys in the ignition? pointless argument..

 

[thegman1234]

Prone to false reads (Mythbusters even managed to fool one such scanner with a photocopy of the fingerprint, or something equally trivial). As such, it would not be an approved security device at any company that would actually require a decent level of security. Given that, and space, cost, appearances, etc. I can see why there was no great drive to put one in a Mac.

Really, other than the "gee whiz cool!" tech-toy factor, there's not much point to a fingerprint scanner.

Hey if the myth busters beat it, then no go right? Lol, thanks for the info I really didn't know much about them.

 

[RedTomato]

ive never used a lock for my laptop because its something called RESPONSIBILITIES...dont leave your expensive stuff out in the open.

Presentations, running a stall or booth at an exhibition or trade fair or showground, working in a strange location or a new place that you don't know well.

There are many situations where you risk having a laptop stolen while distracted for a moment. Trade fair booths are especially high risk. I've also attended large events where 2,000 - 3,000 journalists and media people are reporting on the event (global conferences and the like) and every year, several dozen laptops get stolen from the media room and from booth-holders.

 

[doteyes9]

Then what are they going to do at the Apple Stores? They are always locked down there, and like someone pointed out, you could hide one in an envelope and walk out of the store. There must be some way that they can stop these things being stolen. If there isn't, shame.

My Apple Store somehow utilizes the sudden motion sensor and if it's picked up it sets off the alarm in the store. I saw someone move a MacBook a couple of inches over and the alarm went off.

 

[freebooter]

Vacation

I took my MacBook on a 2 month trip and used the sec.slot all the time. If I left it in the hotel/guest house--like every day!--it was locked down.

No security slot? What were they thinking?

 

[Crossbone]

If they put one on the MBA, and it was locked, they could just rip it out.