Computrace

In testing, the initial installation of Computrace Personal took some time, because there were several browser and operating system settings that had to be adjusted before the program download could be completed. Absolute Software would be well advised to review its personal version's installation process, or at least clarify the Help files, to catch up with the enhanced security of Windows XP SP2. But once Computrace installed, it worked flawlessly and invisibly.

As with zTrace, you don't actually buy the software, but rather the tracking service. The latest tracking information can be accessed at the Computrace Web site, including a history of recent connections. And if the computer is reported stolen, the software can be remotely instructed to send its connection information every 15 minutes.

Absolute Software, the makers of Computrace, has many business and public-sector customers, and offers a wide range of additional options for organizations, including remote data deletion and tight integration with inventory tracking. It's also a great tool for what it calls "PC drift," the phenomenon where computers haven't been stolen, but have gone missing within the organization. You can also use the online database to manage leases, or even check the whereabouts of an employee.

Interestingly, Absolute seems to take the exact opposite philosophy as zTrace, recommending that IT departments publicize the existence of tracking software on computers in order to further discourage would-be thieves from taking the computer in the first place. And, while Absolute does recommend BIOS passwords and the like for corporate customers, such information is missing for the personal version of the software.

Computrace is pretty darn confident in its service-so much so that if a laptop protected under Computrace Personal is stolen, the company guarantees that it will recover your computer. If it isn't found within 30 days of a theft report, it will pay you 90 percent of the purchase cost of the computer, up to $1,000. It applies only to North America, and has some other restrictions that you'll want to check.

Computrace Personal costs $49.99 for 1 year, with discounts for additional years. As with zTrace, a contract is transferable to another computer. There are several levels of Computrace for business, including Computrace Plus and Computrace Complete. Pricing is based on the level of service, number of computers managed, and length of term.