Customer Reviews

Targus PA400U DEFCON 1 Ultra Notebook Computer Security System

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

I am a student living in a dorm situation and so wanted some basic protection for my lap top computer. I purchased the defcon cl because it was inexpensive, widely availible, and easy to use. Unfortunately, it has one major drawback, occasionally it decides to change the number combinationss which unlock it. I went to the company website and they suggested trying the numbers immediately around the combination and if that failed trying all the number combinations possible (there are 10,000). Several hours, one blister, and 1787 combinations later, I got frustrated and used a jewelers saw to cut through the connection to my computer (this solution took only five minutes). I would not suggest this lock to anyone who lacks the patience to try trial and error experimentation until they reach the correct combination, nor anyone attending a school with a metalsmithing program.

I had been using the lock for my laptop for the past 4 months without any trouble. All of a sudden, today, as I went to pick up the lock, which had been left untouched in the open position overnight with my combination in it, it decided to change combinations by itself. So it was in the locked position but the combination is still the one I had set. I tried so many combinations 'around' mine but obviously there are so many different possibilites. The fact that I even have to try to think of what combination my lock decided to change itself to today makes this a lock I can't rely on!

I have been using this lock for a few months without changing the combination. Suddenly I could no longer open it as it appears that the lock has changed its combination by itself.

I called engineering in the hotel I was staying in to help me. It took them less than a minute to cut the cable with ordinary pliers.

DO NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE AN iBOOK!! It slides in easily, but it is almost impossible to get out. I had to call their support line and they told me to apply pressure in the upper left corner (lower right corner if the lock is upside down). Even after doing that, it took me 10 minutes before I finally got it out. When I called, the guy asked me if I had an ibook before anything else. He then told me that they are tight in the ibooks and people have trouble getting them out. It is not worth the struggle if you have an ibook. I highly do not recommend this product for apple ibooks.

on Jan.6,2008 I bought my son a "Defcon CL" combo cable lock. I brought it home ,picked a combination and tried it 3 times and it worked all 3 times!! I then went and put it on my son's computer and guess what? I can't get it off. I guess it changed the combination on it's own. WONDERFUL!!!!
I then read all the wonderful reviews about this lock. I hope there are people who will read this before they buy.

First of all, Targus is aware of the mysterious/magical combination resets and their only suggestion is to cut it off and buy a new lock. This review regards the Defcon CL, the thicker cable security 4 digit combination lock.

This is a DEFECTIVE product that apparently has a design flaw.

The first time it happened, I went through 9700 combinations to find the right one. I'm not doing it again! Fortunately, the lock was not on my laptop. For me, both times, I left the lock with the correct combination (the open position) and when I went to press the button to lock my laptop, it was reset. And the second time, the combination was still 0000 but who knows what it is now.

Cleary, there is a large amount of people with this problem. I had the small, original lock for 3 years and never had a problem but lost the cable so I bought this beefier one but that was a mistake.

If the people from Targus read this, you should refund everyone who has a defective lock or replace it with the original lock.

If the people from Amazon read this, you should stop selling this product. Clearly it is defective and if you're selling this defective product, I should I assume that ALL of the products on your site is defective.

If an attorney is reading this, you should put together a class action lawsuit against Targus.

I just finished breaking this lock off my laptop because it somehow jammed. My laptop was securely locked in my hotel room, keeping even a person with the combination from removing it. After a couple of quick blows with a ratchet handle, the lock itself broke apart. Once I took the end off the lock, it popped right off the laptop. See my photos above of the smashed lock.

When I bought this, I joked to my buddy that it would now take a thief 30 seconds longer to steal my laptop. If only I had realized how right I was. The only reason I spent half an hour trying to remove it was because I was trying to save the lock. I'll call the manufacturer to ask for a refund tomorrow. If they don't give me one, I'll take it back to Staples, where I bought this just six weeks ago.

I posted a review two weeks ago, but it hasn't appeared, so I'm trying again...I bought this lock two years ago. It has always been difficult to remove. (Note: despite what some other reviewers seem to think, it does NOT have a motion detector - that's a different lock.) Recently, the lock decided to remain firmly inside my iBook, despite my efforts to remove it. After a fruitless call to Targus's customer support, I finally got it out. That took over 30 minutes of struggle. My next step was going to be purchasing a hack saw. Apparently, the Targus lock is not a good fit for iBooks. I'm going to send mine back and demand compensation. If you own an iBook, I strongly suggest you buy a lock made by someone other than Targus.

I bought this product less than a year ago. 2 days ago, I locked my laptop and tried to unlock it. But I couldn't. It was somehow messed up and the combination did not work. I HAD TO CUT IT!!! I don't know how it got messed up but I'm sure that it was not study enough to last long.

My boyfriend has been using this lock daily for the past 4 months to secure his laptop at work. Today it decided that the combination he had set was inadequate, so it reset itself. Now we cannot get his laptop off his desk, which defeats the purpose of having a portable computer. We strongly suggest buying a lock that unlocks via a key. Do not purchase this lock.