Cubebyte laptop lock review

Will this keep your laptop safe?

1 April 2008 19:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

You like your laptop and so do probably a lot of other people given the chance, but do you really need to invest in a laptop lock? We don a mask and gloves and see if the Cubebyte from Autosafe is up to the job.

Out of the box and you basically get a 1.8m high tensile steel 5.5mm, 16 strand, 2 x 4 core multi-woven cable that comes in a PVC casing, in other words something that you're not going to be able to cut through without a lot of effort. We tried with a pair of wire cutters, a saw and even an axe to no avail.

At one end is a loop, at the other is the lock that fits into your laptop's locking hole. Slot it in, turn the key, which Autosafe say comes with 20,000 different codes, and you're done.

Where the Cubebyte tries to differ from your average laptop lock is that there is a spring attached to the lock itself. In real terms this means that it promises to fit any laptop perfectly rather than having a one size (hopefully) fits all strategy.

To test this out we tested it on four laptops; a MacBook Pro, an old G4 PowerBook, an old laptop from Tiny and an Acer Aspire. It fitted all like a glove. The locking mechanism is large, but not overly large so that it gets in the way.

Those keen on losing their keys will be pleased to see that you get two with the Cubebyte (one to leave in your desk no doubt) and all-in-all the Cubebyte does what it says on the tin - make your laptop harder to take away from what it’s attached to.

Verdict

Simple but to the point, the Cubebyte promises to keep your laptop safe from overnight break-ins, although why you would be stupid enough to leave your laptop in your office overnight anyway (perhaps you don't want to be mugged on the way home) is beyond us.

The only catch? You've got to remember to attach it to something that won't move, like your desk leg.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Autosafe
Price as reviewed: £22
The good: Tough cable, spring-loaded lock to fit all laptop lock holes
The bad: Cable could be longer, could have had combination lock rather than key
Quick verdict: Simple but to the point
Score