6. Kensington Lock, USB Dock, Washable Keyboard

Kensington Products

MicroSaver DS Keyed Ultra-Thin Notebook Lock, $49.99

Laptop theft is an inevitable problem on school campuses. Nevertheless, students must continue to bring laptops to school—especially in college. Kensington’s keyed locks are the industry standard for laptop theft deterrence. Nearly every notebook model we’ve ever tested includes the tiny slot designed to work with a Kensington Lock. One of the newest such locks from the company—the Ultra-Thin Notebook Lock—works with the popular new breed of “thin and light” notebooks that so many students favor. Locks designed for other notebook types, including netbooks and Apple products, are also available. This one includes five feet of steel cable (easy to loop around a dorm desk, for instance), and two flat keys. Naturally, no lock is failsafe—a determined thief can manage to get a hold of your student’s computer with enough tools and motivation. But Kensington’s locks make it tough for those determined thieves to end up with a machine that doesn’t look stolen (it might feature a cracked case or an umbilical cord of steel cable). And because the laptop appears this way, it will be harder to sell, which is usually enough of a deterrent for a potential thief.

• MicroSaver DS Keyed...
• • NextWarehouse
  • $49.84
• • Limited Goods PG East
  • $65.55

USB Mini Dock with Ethernet, $49.99

With limited desk space and lots of accessories, students will have a hard time making do with just the few USB ports built into a laptop—nor will they have room for a bulky hub, switch, or dock to connect all the accessories to the computer. A smaller hub is needed, and Kensington’s Mini Dock answers the call with three movable USB ports in a silver stick about the size of a granola bar.

This hub also includes an Ethernet port. Since not every dorm room or library tower is outfitted with WiFi at all times, sometimes a hard-wired Ethernet connection is needed and this hub helps the computer connect with the wall socket more easily.

The Mini Dock comes with an optional wall power adapter. Most students won’t need it, but if they attempt to connect a laptop via USB to something power-hungry, such as an external DVD burner, some speakers, or a hard drive enclosure with multiple drives, the power plug may kick in just enough wattage to power up those devices as well.

• USB Mini Dock with...
• • NextWarehouse
  • $52.79
• • ElectronicsPLUS
  • $58.49

Washable USB/PS2 Keyboard with Antimicrobial Protection, $39.99

We recommend this keyboard to students heading back to school, as well as teachers heading back to the classroom. In fact, we think this keyboard could make a practical addition to any public computing terminal, whether in a computer lab, common area, classroom, or dormitory.

Though our experiences with washing keyboards have been iffy at best, one designed specifically with soap and water in mind will have much more reliable results. According to Kensington, the following materials can be used to clean this keyboard: non-abrasive cleaner, soap, general purpose cleaner, disinfectant, bleach, and “surgical spirit.” We’re not sure we know what all of those things are, but we do know that after running this keyboard under water, it still works (by the way, the company recommends that you do not place the keyboard in water hotter than 158 degrees Fahrenheit). Just be sure to keep the USB connector dry. Once the keyboard is clean, leave it out to air dry—it shouldn’t take longer than a day.

Beyond the ability to wash away grime and crumbs, the keyboard also comes with built-in sanitation in the form of an “antimicrobial coating” that protects against “molds, mildews, and fungi associated with odor and stain-causing bacteria.” We can’t see or feel this coating, which makes it hard to test.

The key action on this 104-key standard keyboard is soft and resilient, and the design is as simple as possible. Connect it to a computer with either the USB port of the PS2 port (found on desktop machines). This basic white keyboard is not compatible with Macs.

• Washable USB/PS/2...
• • Limited Goods PG East
  • $55.61
• • NextWarehouse
  • $56.08