good notebook lock?

Hi, just wondering what makes a notebook lock "good"? Are locks universal? Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

a lock is like a "Club". it's only there to deter theft, not provide bullet-proof protection. if you're gonna go to the bathroom at the bookstore, they're good.

if you're going to leave it alone in a library for hours because you locked it, that's bad because they're all pretty easily cracked.

just buy one that fits your price range and be smart about how you use it.

 

Thanks, I planned on getting the lock to deter theft since as a student, my laptop would be my most valuable possession. I guess I'm wondering if there are preferable companies, the only one I know right now is Targus and Kensington and looking at their products, the price range is pretty similar between their products. For example, looking at Targus (Canada), they have 5 products between $40-60 and Kensington organizes their products either by keyed or combo. Is it just a matter of personal preference? I guess any of these products will do - does anyone have experience with these products and can give some insight?

 

Well, I can add is that Kensington is, presumably, the designer of the Kensington security slot (the hole that's on most of these expensive portable electronics), so they probably know what they're doing.

 

Doesn't matter. Just buy any lock from a reputable source. It's not like it's a complicated piece of machinery.

 

Kensington is what we use at work, its like the industry standard in a way. Its called "Kensington lock slot" for a reason.

That said, they aren't bulletproof and as NotebookYoozer pointed out, some are disturbingly easy to crack. Read this article by Engadget to get an idea.

As a student, you might want to look into a lock that is alarmed. While the alarm in itself doesn't offer any extra protection, any loud siren in the middle of a classroom or a library or even a Starbucks is sure to attract attention to the thief trying to crack the lock or cut the wire.
In my university library, security guards and marshals reprimand people who talk in quiet areas with surprising efficiency, and even if the proverb "there's never a cop when you need one" is true and 90% of the time, it does give an extra sense of security.

Both Targus and Kensington make alarmed locks and you can find some cheaper than the normal ones!

 

I have a Targus combo with alarm. Iy has a long cable that can go around a table leg or something and a vibration sensor. Move it or try to cut the cable and it's an earpiercing alarm. Really helps keeping honest people honest.

 

Just curious, I remember reading (in 2006) about how Kensington and Targus locks being picked in a few minutes with an empty pen and/or paper, what improvements have they made since then? Yeah, I know I'm probably looking into this wayyy too deeply... lol

 

Most Kensington locks don't use the barrel locking mechanism anymore due to the bic pen trick. Most are Combo locks, and that would be my recommendation.

Although if you get a Targus/Kensingotn combo on sale at someplace like FutureShop it's nice to have a cable lock as well if you use your laptop case. it's quick and easy to use when moving from class to class.

For something a little more secure the PacSafe stuff like the wire mesh enclosures are good, but they are primarily if you NEED to keep something unattended for a while and want to deter the no-pro thief. When I travel abroad I go with a PacSafe for my backpack/duffel bag and one for my laptop case.
http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&activity_id=6

But as already mentioned, a determined thief will bust through anything, the main goal of whatever you use is not bullet-proof protection, just enough protection for the thief to go after someone else's stuff, and really even a basic lock will help do that.