Perhaps the biggest fear I have about my laptop is having it stolen. Besides the obvious replacement expense, there are all of the hidden costs: the lost work on the hard drive, the time it takes to reinstall all my software, and the intangible risk of somebody else gaining possession of my financial information.
I've gone to great ends to keep my laptop from getting snatched. I carry it in an unmarked backpack. When I travel, I try to keep it with me at all times. I have chained my laptop to a radiator. But while I was in France last month, I discovered what may very well be the ultimate laptop protection system: a metal plate emblazoned with the word ''STOP'' and a tracking number.
The metal plate is made by Security Tracking of Office Property. It's held in place with an ultrastrong adhesive that takes 800 pounds of force to remove. Underneath the plate is a permanent tattoo that's bonded with the laptop's plastic case.
The theory behind the STOP tag is simple: Most thieves steal laptops to sell them. When you put a STOP tag on your laptop, you greatly reduce a thief's ability to resell it, which makes it improbable that it will be stolen in the first place.
Beyond deterring theft, STOP tags have another advantage as well: They make it easy for somebody who has accidentally discovered your laptop to return it. According to the company, many laptops are left accidentally in airports while their owners run for a flight. The STOP tag makes it easy for any good Samaritan to return it - all they have to do is call the phone number, and the company handles the rest.
STOP tags cost $25 each, or 10 for $150. Each comes with a three-year subscription to the tracking service. Additional years cost $1, or $4 for the lifetime of the machine. Besides my laptop, I've put the tags on desktop computers, printers, and monitors. The tag probably won't keep my laptop from getting stolen in some of the world's rougher spots, but for travel within the United States, its a great product.
Wireless modem
If you have tried sending data from a laptop over a cellular telephone, chances are you have been disappointed. Designed in the 1970s, the cellular telephone system simply wasn't designed to handle data calls. And even with an expensive cellular modem, all too often the poor sound quality and frequent dropouts make it impossible to establish a connection or keep one going.
The Cellular Digital Packet Data standard bypasses these problems by sending pure digital data over the airwaves. As the name implies, data is sent in packets - the same as on the Internet. An added bonus is encryption. Unlike conventional cellular telephone calls, CDPD packets are encrypted to prevent eavesdropping. And with a transfer rate of 19,200 bits per second, CDPD operates at about half the speed of a typical dial-up connection.
To use CDPD, you need a CDPD account and a CDPD wireless radio for your laptop. Both Bell Atlantic Mobile and AT&T Wireless offer the service. Bell Atlantic's AirBridge service offers unlimited usage for $54.95 a month within the company's coverage area (stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C.). Outside the service area, however, there is a pretty stiff roaming rate of 8 cents per kilobyte transferred. AT&T's service costs $64.99 a month, but offers unlimited coverage nationwide (as long as AT&T operates the wireless carrier.)
The CDPD radio itself is pricey. Bell Atlantic recommends the Sierra Wireless Aircard, priced at $699. Another choice, if you happen to have a 3Com Palm Pilot, is to get the $274 Minstrel CDPD modem. With the Minstrel you can surf the Web, send and received e-mail, and synchronize the Palm Pilot with your desktop machine (provided that your desktop is always connected to the Internet).
It was quite complicated to set up my laptop to work with the Aircard. But once installed, the system worked reliably and as advertised in the Boston area. I had less success when I tried to take the Aircard traveling. Two weeks ago I took Amtrak to New York City and was unable to get the card to work anywhere along the way. Perhaps the train was blocking the radio signals.
Last week I took the card to Martha's Vineyard; despite the fact that Woods Hole is in a coverage area (according to the map on the company's Web site), I could not get a signal at the Steamship Authority or on the Vineyard.
Overall, I like the idea of CDPD. If I were constantly on the road in covered areas it would be a pretty cool way to get my e-mail. Nevertheless, the companies need to work at making the installation easier.
Windows 98 madness
If you are thinking about installing Windows 98 on your laptop, better check with your manufacturer first. I called Sony last week about some hardware problems that I was having with my laptop and learned that installing Windows 98 invalidates Sony's warranty.
I didn't believe it at first, so I called back an checked with another representative. Sure enough, it was true. Customers who recently purchased their laptops from Sony can get a free Windows 98 upgrade, but other customers - those early adopters who trusted the company's reputation - need to buy their upgrades on the open market. And once you install it, Sony will no longer give you warranty service unless you first uninstall Windows 98 and re-install Windows 95. Luckily, Sony provides you with the CD-ROM that will wipe your laptop hard drive and reinstall Windows 95 specifically for this purpose.
Indeed, sometimes I wonder why I bother with all of this mobile technology. Perhaps on my next trip I'll pack a different kind of notebook - the old-fashioned kind that runs on paper.
Technology writer Simson L. Garfinkel can be reached at plugged-in@simson.net
Dow:
