Laptop battery and security question!

[pcgeek]

Hi I am reading more and more articles with regard to laptop security.I also am wondering about the battery of a laptop apparently some people try to sell there second hand laptops just before the battery is going to die because the batter of a laptop from my understanding is expensive to buy a new one. is this correct?

A random laptop security article says:http://www.pc1news.com/news/0155/sec...p-owners-.html
then Wiki says http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Laptop_Security which is about remote laptop security and what to do if it is stolen.

My questions therefore are:Is laptop security so bad that it isn't worth it to get one although I need one badly and my second question is if the battery life isn't so good how do you know if someone selling a second hand laptop if it has a battery that is expring?

thanks any information would be helpful

[Steve R Jones]

If you need a laptop - you need a laptop. You just have to be aware that there are bad people in this world that like things for free....Leaving a laptop in a case and letting it sit in a chair while you go to the bathroom would be a bad idea...

Batteries can cost 100+ dollars to replace.....Brand new laptop prices start at $299 which almost makes some tops disposable

[Teknophobia]

The majority of laptop manufacturers now include the computrace tracking and theft recovery within the BIOS - you can pay an annual charge if you want this option. In the event your laptop gets stolen, computrace can track the ip and address as soon as the laptop connects to the internet, get the police involved, etc.

You also have TPM which is a chip that encrypts all your data so that if your laptop ends up in the wrong hands, they cannot obtain any data from it. I know Dell and HP offer these chips on some of their laptops.

Here is a nice paper that looks at TPM, Biometrics, and Encryption:
http://www.full-disc-encryption.com/...mozTocId271316

With regard to batteries, I usually purchase an extra battery when I buy the laptop, and normally go for the larger cell battery available. In any case, I would always purchase spare batteries from the original manufacturer or their preferred resellers - I would'nt want to end up with a fake battery that is likely to melt/explode!

TEk

[SpywareDr]

'Easy-to-use' FDE (Full Disk Encryption) has arrived. It's been all over ITnews-type sites the last few of days:

Seagate’s self-encrypting hard drive is “Momentus”!
Thursday, 13 November 2008
... Seagate launches the industry’s first hard drives with “full disk encryption” for consumers and businesses wanting government-grade security.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21669/1103/

Seagate, McAfee, Dell Hook Up for Self-encrypting Notebooks
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Se...ing-Notebooks/

Seagate in Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) Push
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:35 AM PST
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente...tion_push.html

More: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ta...on&btnG=Search

[K G G]

Encryption is definitely the way to go, you NEVER know who might disappropriate your laptop. After all it is a very portable device.

Batteries - it all depends on the type of battery. A typical Li-ION lasts 2-3 year on constant usage, after that an aftermarket replacement might be in order and will still be cheaper than a new laptop.