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Kensington Minisaver
Mobile Lock
DESIGNED FOR ULTRABOOKS.UNLIKE THE CLICKSAFE lock, the
Minisaver doesn’t require any attachment
to equipped to the laptop in question.
Designed for ultraportables, it’s got a tiny
head for smaller Kensington locks, and this
simply inserts into the laptop. Press the
button on the locking mechanism and two
teeth are pushed out, locking the laptop to
the cable. It’s called ‘Cleat Locking
Technology’, which uses retracting claws to
keep the device secure. The fact the lock is
a good 8cm or so away from the mounting
point means it won’t block any USB ports or
the like, giving you plenty of room to access
any I/O ports. The lock head can be rotated
through 90 degrees to provide easier access.
Using the same plastic-sheathed carbon
steel cable means it’ll be a tough sucker to
cut through, while Kensington’s online
registration program makes it easy to order
replacement keys in case you lose the two
that come with the kit. Overall a
fantastically simple way to keep your
ultra-thin devices on the desk, and not in
somebody’s backpack.KENSINGTON MINISAVER
MOBILE LOCK
$62
http://www.kengsington.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Off-body main lock; Cleat Locking Technology;
carbon steel cableKensington ClickSafe
Combination Laptop Lock
FOR THOSE WHO ARE PIN-INCLINED.THIS KENSINGTON LOCK is incredibly
similar to the ClickSafe Keyed Laptop Lock.
The cable is made from the same rugged
plastic-sheathed carbon steel, and is used to
affix the laptop to your desk. You’ll need
a special locking lug to insert into the
Kensington slot on your laptop first, which
comes with an accompanying Allen key.
Once that’s in place, it’s simply a matter of
attaching the locking head to the lug. But this
time around it uses a four-digit key code
instead of a key. We should point out that it
doesn’t have the extension cord of the
Minisaver, so probably isn’t as suitable for
smaller devices, as the large locking head
may block some extra ports. If there is one
flaw, it’s that resetting the combination
simply requires a paperclip and the
instruction manual, which will take savvy
laptop loaners all of 30 seconds to figure out.
Yet we can’t really see a way around this
without making the key code permanent,
which could prove to be a pain if you forget
to register it on the Kensington website.Shintaro Notebook Lock
CUT-PRICE SECURITY.OBVIOUSLY INSPIRED BY Kensington’s
locks, this is basically the el-cheapo version.
It’s a basic Kensington lock that features
both key code and key locking, but there’s
no way to order replacement keys if they go
missing. They also appear to be the generic
key style used on many office drawers and
lockers, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the
key lock was easy to compromise.
The cable itself is a basic 1.8m PVC coated
steel cable, while the clamp mechanism
doesn’t inspire a huge amount of confidence,
feeling rather prone to movement and not
exactly rugged. When you’re putting $2,000
laptops on the line, we’d suggest spending
an extra $20 for the confidence that your
security hardware is going to withstand a
beating, rather than this rather generic,
cheap knock-off. Oh, it’s also not so great for
ultraportables, as the locking mechanism is
right up against the Kensington slot, which
will likely knock out an I/O port or two.KENSINGTON CLICKSAFE
COMBINATION LAPTOP LOCK
$50
http://www.kengsington.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Carbon steel cable; 4-digit key lock;
1.5m cableSHINTARO
NOTEBOOK LOCK
$24
http://www.shintaro.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Zinc plated steel cable;
key-lock mechanism; 1.7m4 3 2WINNERAPPROVED
AWARDSUPERGUIDEPHYSICAL SECURITY FOR YOUR DIGITAL DEVICES