|
 IBM ThinkPad T42One of the most secure thin-and-lights you can buy. Price:
from $1,899
by Steve Taylor 
The IBM T42 looks and feels like a business computer, and having a fingerprint scanner integrated makes this one of the most secure thin-and-lights you can buy. In fact, the fingerprint integration starts all the way down in the BIOS, where it can be enabled or disabled. You can even configure the fingerprint authentication to work as startup and hard disk passwords after enabling them in the BIOS.
IBM engineers decided to put the scanner, called a TouchChip Fingerprint Coprocessor, on the right side of the computer, which is great for a right-handed person but continues the unfortunate prejudice against the southpaws of the world. An IBM fingerprint login screen replaces the standard Windows login screen at startup, but you can press Ctrl-Alt-Del to type in your password instead. Another nod to enterprise-level security is a choice of two security modes. "Convenient" mode is intended mostly for home users, with an emphasis on ease of use. "Secure" mode adds an additional level of security, allowing only local administrators access to additional security functions. In a business situation, the security software has the capability to save and access the fingerprint database not from the local computer, but from a separate server, offering the advantage of an additional layer of security and the ability to provide fingerprint authentication to any enabled computer on the network. Server software can be purchased from various third-party sources, including UPEK, the manufacturer of the sensor used in the T42. There is no separate training process during enrollment. You just scan your finger, and if the scan is unsuccessful, the software assists you in correcting your technique by providing helpful graphics and offering prompts like, "Slow down," or, "Align finger." In testing, the enrollment process went very smoothly. You can create up to 21 different fingerprint profiles. It's not cheap, but the IBM ThinkPad T42 provides the best one-two punch of biometric and BIOS-level security. If you want to lock your laptop and its data down, there's simply no solution that's as effective. Compare Prices | IBM ThinkPad T42 Specifications
Featured Site Sponsors
|
 |
|
