My MBP is the place where all my work is and I had to break my piggy bank to buy it so I always keep it safe with me or attach it firmly with a kensington lock. But if you are carefree here's a story where Back to my Mac helped [db.tidbits.com] .

kidian

The best solution is to leave your laptop at home. Or go to a library. I, for one, am tired of not being able to find a seat in my favorite coffee shop because all the tables are taken up by people who buy an 8 oz. drip coffee and then play World of Warcraft for 3 hours. Just suck it up and pay for a DSL line in your home. Just because a coffee shop offers wi-fi access doesn't mean it has become an off-campus computer lab. If it really is a designated "internet cafe," fine. But if it is not, some of us would like to sit and talk with a real live person over a latte.

John David

@discounteggroll:
Full Metal Jacket. Classic.

1drew3

I usually just ask someone to watch it.

Deprong Mori

i'm all about asking a neighbor to keep an eye on it. sure there is a little risk, but on the only hand, it's a good way to meet new people.

thisrobot

I usually just leave the computer there. I go to places often enough that they usually know me, so they'll notice if someone walks away with my stuff. I always remember to take out my SD card just in case, which is the really important part anyway (data). While I'm not rich, my laptop is crappy and old, so replacing it wouldn't be the end of the world. I figured out a long time ago that it's not work having things you're too afraid to lose. So I don't sweat it too much.

nategab

Google "Stadium Pal". Problem solved.

-thegrumpyadmin.com

thegrumpyadmin

"This is my laptop. There are many like it but this one is mine. My laptop is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my laptop is useless. Without my laptop, I am useless."

yeah, that basically sums it up. My laptop goes wherever I go

discounteggroll

Non-emergencies: you turn 10 and plan ahead by going to the bathroom before you sit down.

Or you frequent a shop so that the staff and other patrons know you and look out for you..if that doesn't feel comfortable you take the laptop with you and leave the non-essentials on the table. Sometimes I put it in my bag so it's just not in the open. Having it stolen is horrible but so is someone getting your sensitive information just by reading what's in your browser history, hard drive, etc.

lesbiansayswhat

Usually I stick my laptop in my bag and bring it with me. Better to be safe than sorry.

kylenalepa

@Flugenhiber: Alright, my link didn't show it. I use iAlertU. anyone messes with my labtop, it gets real annoying.

Flugenhiber

Here's where I finally see some upside to the Macbook Air - you could just throw it up in the air, take care of business, and come back just as it floats feather-like to your table

c0dek

[www.versiontracker.com]

Flugenhiber

I'd avoid settling down in a café where I felt unable to leave my laptop unattended for a few minutes.

Andre Kibbe

I usually use my laptop in the library - and I put all of my books on top of my laptop for two reasons - 1) to hide it and 2) to make it difficult to get at...

Jerse

I was so paranoid, I decided to start a project (www.coffeeatbirkdale.com) based on meeting one new person everyday at the local coffee shop. Now I know the name of every person in the coffee shop and feel safe to leave my laptop when I used the head.

shuneycutt

I don't know about coffee shops, but when I'm in class, I usually just ask a friend who I trust (and that also has a MBP) to watch it while I'm gone momentarily, or if I'm not going to far away (a couple of metres), I keep a close eye on it.

gamehead200

It takes me about a minute or two to pack everything back up. It's such a insignificant amount of time to do so. 2 thousand dollar laptops tend to require a high level of paranoia - especially when it'll take me over about 6 or 7 paychecks to buy another one.

Cpryd001

This question is exactly the reason I've never been able to get excited about working in coffee shops. Coffee = frequent trips to bathroom = too much time wasted packing things up to keep them from getting stolen.

I've got a reasonably comfortable home office with a nice coffee maker in the kitchen. I do go out and catch up on non-laptop related work (catching up on reading, for instance).

adumbguy

@adam: I guess you gave another solution way back in 2006. Just use this [lifehacker.com] then take a leak ears open and hope that your athletic abilities are not too bad to run after the thief.

kidian

As a diabetic, I make more trips to the ladies' room than many. I don't often use my laptop in public places, but if I need to go, I sleep the laptop and take it and my purse with me.

infmom

A few weeks back, I was sitting outside a cafe and some guy plopped down a big stack of books and what was clearly a Macbook on an empty table before going in to order. I felt like hiding it just to show him how stupid he is.

On topic, I personally never leave my Tablet PC alone or with strangers. And since it's a tablet, I'm not reliant on a flat surface or even a chair, though they make things more comfortable.

sumocat

Nope, that puppy comes with me. I dropped WAY too much cash on it to leave it alone, neighbors or no!

Although my old coffee shop that I used to haunt regularly was a nice enough place that the people there would look out for it if I had to run off really quickly. Then again, I went to school with half of the staff, so I trusted them anyway.

phoenix

Take the laptop with you. Who knows? It may have to go too...

TunaFish

This reminds me of one time when I was at a restaurant, eating by myself. I had with me my rollerblades, backpack, portable cd player and a book, after eating, but before the check arrived, I had to go to the bathroom. I packed everything up and took it with me. When I came out the waiter was so relieved to see me, as he figured I took off without paying.

B

People see something on the counter, and no one is around, they think they're being watched.

Honesty through paranoia

Norcross

Stay out of sketchy coffee shops.

Get to know the people around you and the employees.

Relax and don't give into fear. It's really hard to piss when you're all anxious.

@sumocat: that would be hilar--- oh wait, no, the opposite. It would get you banned for life from the coffee shops I got to, and very likely decked by the owner of the laptop. I don't care if you do think they're dumb, touching other peoples shit is not cool.

Zadaz

iAlertU

+ Watch video

Nothing more, nothing less.

deleet

My all-time favorite method is to ask an honest looking patron if they'd watch my stuff for a second. When they agree, I take their picture and then proceed to the men's room with my camera. I've only ever done this once, but I felt clever about it. I don't know if I'd do it in all circumstances, though.

Scott D. Feldstein

I have a Lenovo x60, so I carry it with me. If it was bigger I'd lock it and ask a neighbour.

nestorius

@Norcross: In Soviet Russia, Laptop watches you!

Lazarus

My EeePC is permanently inside a velcro-bookbag with shoulder strap. I just close the lid, the Eee hibernates, I velcro the top down and it's good to go. Even if there are USB sticks or things poking out the side, it's a non-issue, and I can put the cordless mouse in my pocket (or I'm just pleased to see you).
Lugging my regular laptop around = 2007.

longbourne

Actually, social psychological theory says that if you ask someone to watch your stuff they'll most likely do it. And if they won't, they wouldn't have done it anyway (ie sociopath). So if your'e smart about who you ask you should be fine.

I was in this situation last week in the student center when I was playing pool. I figured even with my stuff being behind a corner the desk people couldn't see it would be fine since classes and finals had both ended. And the police station is next door.

waffles

I guess I should have googled first :)

[www.syfer.nl]

peetah

I listen to my mom and use the can before I head out to the frickin' cafe.

Is this really a problem for people in need of a lifehack to figure it out?

Rajio

iAlertU is nice, anything available for a Windows based laptop with a webcam and remote control sensor ?

peetah

I don't have a laptop, but you could -

1. Stay where you are.

2. Google 'constipation cures'

da5id_nz

one word: catheter.
In all seriousness, you should never leave a laptop unattended. Even if you have one of those fancy locks, it is only as strong as the cable and only as secure as what you loop it through (i.e. don't string it around a table leg if it isn't bolted down). not only that, but someone can easily steal info off of it, or plant a virus/Trojan/open a port etc., while you are away.your better off packing up shop or using the bathroom before you sit down.

ender89

Are you kidding me, do you really think I'm going to leave a $2000 laptop sitting there for a neighbor to watch? I see people do it all the time though, I mean, c'mon people, would you leave your keys in your car and go for a cup of coffee too? Take it with you. Although, I do find it funny how nonchalantly some people treat their laptops, people seem to be more conscience of their cell phones.

nka

If I am a regular and I recognize someone else as a regular wherever I'm at, I'll ask them to watch my laptop. If I don't know anyone around to watch it, I'll pack up and hit the head. I have no problem with bringing everything with me.

whitlock

I don't like bringing the laptop to coffee shops. Mainly, it's because I prefer working at home or in a library -- but regarding the subject of the original post, yes, I would feel uncomfortable leaving my laptop unless there were friends to watch it for me. Sometimes, it's better to do "office stuff" in the office. A coffee shop's the perfect place for chatting or reading.

Oh, I also agree with previous commentators that it's really uncool for people to bring their laptop to a coffee shop and hang out there all day.

cavalierex

I typically set my webcam up with motion detection (yawcam, creative software, etc...) and then point the captures to my home PC (log in remotely) or work PC and then I'm set... If someone steals my laptop, I likely get a shot of them walking into the place at some point or walking up to my laptop (aim the laptop the right way).

laker

I usually hit the john before sitting down at a cafe. Usually.

On the occasion I don't, well... hit standby and just take it. And pray nobody takes your seat.

kureshii

@John David:
You are blaming patrons for using a service the coffee shop provides. As such, they have every right to work on their computer while they drink their coffee as is your right to talk with a friend as you drink yours. What makes one behavior more acceptable than the other?

Besides, there is no difference between someone taking up seats chatting with friends or taking up seats working on their computer. The seat is still occupied. Believe me, if some of the women I know are sitting there talking, you aren't ever going to get a seat. LOL! They can easily spend hours over a cup of coffee and good conversation.

Lambasted

I like iAlertU, but after using it a dozen times and having people sitting down at my table tripping it off. . . And having triggered it myself far too many times, well I don't use it anymore. Too embarassing.

I just close my laptop and take it with me. Unless there are people I know around, then I ask them to watch it.

maztec

Yeah...umm, take it with you if you didn't use the washroom like you should have earlier.

Myles

"Hit the head"?

Never heard this before. :P

Ortzinator

I only ever have this dilemma in school, so no big deal. I lock the screen and leave it. When everyone has a laptop, no worries.

Daniel

Daniel

It amazes me that people actually leave the thing unattended. So, let's do this by elimination. That's the worst option, unless you don't value your laptop. One down. Lock it up? That's possible, but geeky. That leaves taking it with you or asking someone to watch it. If there's nobody around who looks like a reasonable guard, or is cute enough, etc., then definitely take it with you. I wouldn't call this a "dilemma". The one thing you need to be careful about though is dropping the thing in the toilet. A good no-fault warranty might be for you if this seems an open possibility.

philosopher_dog

I take it with me, better to be safe then sorry.

QBall15j

Put it in my pocket... Nokia N800. Also my answer to travel. Small, cheap, capable. Props to libraries; Knowing your neighbors; Having an extra battery instead of decorating rooms with power cords; and give me a sketchy coffee shop any day.

m.c.cookie

If i'm alone, i take it with me.

math0ne

iAlertU is a nice idea but pressing the power button for 5 secs and the device is shut down, without iAlertU having had a chance to react - so i wouldnt trust it too much, ok?

Nice toy but not recommendable.

I follow another principle: items which are not "there" can not be stolen.

take it with u, it's not that bulky that you couldn't carry it...

skype24

I don't laptop alone in strange coffee shops... Most of the time I'm with a group of people looking to get a change of scene from our usual study location or meeting people for a tutoring session or something. In these cases, I leave it with the person I'm with. And I never stay long enough to need a bathroom break anyhow.

CWW

"Laptop" spelled backwards is "potpal." I don't know how much clearer a hint could be.

Capone

thank god i know nothing about this rubbish. and i live on a laptop.

i bring it to work. i bring it to the classes i teach. the local dive bar i host karaoke once a week has net access and i never have a worry.

the local coffee shop is completely safe.

fuzzymuffins

Friends.

Just because you're working on your laptop at a café doesn't mean you have to go alone!

I used to like to goto a coffee shop with friends and work. Just don't all goto the bathroom at the same time.

Also, if you frequent the shop, the staff or fellow patrons might watch your things for you.

... that said, I always lock my laptop to the table AND chair ... :P

remi

I use iAlertU as well, but most of the time I'll just ask a neighbor to watch it for me. A smile gets you farther than most people think. If I'm in a sketchy'ish coffee shop (ie. in East Vancouver) I'll take it with me. If there's no one around I'll ask a staff member to watch my laptop, usually the one that took my order (and watched me leave a tip). Again, a smile goes a long way.

ross.m

+1 for putting it in my pocket (Nokia N810)

I got sick of lugging my laptop everywhere with me, and the n810 does everything I needed my laptop to do, but it fits in my pocket.

Before I got the n810, I would just leave my laptop where it was to go to the bathroom, but then again I was in college and everyone had the same laptop... so no need to steal yours

pomokey

Hold it in.

icntdrv

One nice thing I have seen in several place while travelling is tables configured so that you can actually attach things to them. In some of the places I've been this doesn't only mean laptops, some cafe's provide hooks, catches etc to stop snatch and grab of bags.

fost

I agree with those who say to use the bathroom before ordering the drink. However, since life isn't perfect, sometimes we get into this dilemma.
Since I live in the New York City area and I don't trust people at all (not just in NYC but everywhere), I'm taking everything into the bathroom with me. I don't care about what people would think if I do this. Any embarrassment that I might feel (and it's a choice whether I feel it or not) is about a million times better than realizing that my laptop and bag were stolen.
I also won't ask anyone to watch it for me due to my whole not trusting other people thing.
The type of people who steal laptops in cafes are LOOKING for the person who leaves it alone on a bathroom run.
Even if you know the staff, what if one goes in the back, one is helping a customer and the other has their attention drawn away from your precious cargo in some other way? It only takes a few seconds to take a laptop off of a table and walk out of a cafe.

juanitob

Mum taught me to me to go before I left the house.

shamess

I don't use internet cafes. All the ones around here are full of noisy kids botting their MMO characters.
I don't drink coffee either.

eilu

*Put you coat on the back of your chair sorry

an2an

Simple, as un-noticeably as possible. Place your laptop on your seat, put on your on the back of the chair and slide it under the desk. This means it is out of view, and who can steal something they can't see?

P.S: Why would you plug a scone in?

an2an

'Depends' ...

Fitwit

I usually stay away from sketchy coffee shops and tables where snatch-n-run is possible, and I ask the staff to keep an eye on it for me. If there's no trust and no staff with an eye to spare, it's always possible to ask two different neighbors to watch it. They may both be thieves, but what are the chances they'll figure that out before I return? Then again, most people are touchingly honest.

nordtomme

Definitely go take care of business before you order, unpack and get settled. You need to wash your hands anyway. That said the real question is what do you do with it while you are in the stall? Ladies with handbags, babies or small children face this dilemma every day. Not all facilities provide hooks on the stall doors for your purse, backpack and how do you hook a child if hooks are provided? Not going to put your precious cargo on the nasty floor, are you? No wonder keyboards are filthier than toilet seats and kids are incubators for disease.

rolltimer

My laptop AND my coffee go with me, of course!

Louise

LouiseVin

"I usually use my laptop in the library - and I put all of my books on top of my laptop for two reasons - 1) to hide it and 2) to make it difficult to get at..." if your books are over about 1000 pages (as most of my law books are) I'd be more scared of it breaking the LCD!

abhiroop

i paid a little over 2$k for mine...everything will be packed up and taken with me unless i have one or more trusted individuals with me.

oddly enough, i don't mind watching someone's things. i've been asked numerous amount of times by strangers to watch their things, laptops included.

Collaboratory

A Kensington cable lock and a password-protected screen saver is all I've ever needed for a few minutes away, even in downtown Miami.

JayWiese

Just hold it.... what else... :)

whoisvaibhav

no need to carry the laptop into the restroom when nature calls...its all about the adult sized diapers

laughingisfree

I sometimes take my laptop with me when nature calls, even when I'm at home!

rolii

My portable computer is a Nokia N800 about the size of an I-pod touch, so it goes into my shirt pocket, problem solved... and so much more convenient than a laptop now I ALWAYS have a computer with me.

CyberCowboy

I too use a cable lock in my faculty. It is fast and no one is going to drag a hole table withe them ;)

johnnywas

@Ortzinator: Me neither, the head? (can? pot? loo?)

zurg

Kensington Cable lock is probably the best option if your a little concerned about wasting time putting it into a bag..

2kreative

Its just smart to manage your bodily functions, and anything else, prior to committing to sitting down with a hot cup of jo and surfing.

Anything else, and one shouldn't own a laptop. :)

shoregeek

Definitely use the washroom before sitting down. Otherwise, I unplug anything I've got plugged into it and leave all my stuff but my purse and my laptop. But I just can't leave that puppy around. Snatch and runs happen in a blink of an eye...how could I do anything about it if I'm locked in a bathroom stall?

TOwebstress

do what the Tour de France riders do?

sadly the people you can trust are not the ones who will be removing your laptop.

ffolliet

@hlkljgk: I work on a university campus. Trust me, laptops go missing ALL the time. Before I came, it was every man to himself when it cames to laptops, and they walked away constantly. Because of the high rate of theft, quite a few policies went into effect, including making it easier to lock up your laptop, and information on how best to do it was spread. But also, unattended laptops are taken into public safety custody if they're seen by an officer.

And of course, then you get the people who instead of thanking them for preventing their laptop from getting stolen yell that nobody asked to be protected! They're a big boy, they leave their expensive property out if they want to!

You can't win for losing.

Meiran

just out of curiosity, how many of you have had your laptop stolen?

i just trust in people; don't give in to fear mongering.

anyway, it's just a laptop.

now, my _camera_ goes everywhere i do... :)

hlkljgk

Live in a village where everyone knows your name and looks suspiciously at strangers.

superdewa

I usually just pee ON my laptop - problem solved, nobody wants to steal it now!

- the downside is that you have to buy a new one once in a while, but no solution is perfect, right?

EmilBB

@zurg: @Ortzinator: It's a nautical term (used by sailors, but widely used in general society by those who know it).

See definition 12(b) here:
[www.merriam-webster.com]

zkam

Unless I'm a place like say a university library where I know people around me will most likely stay put, I always take my laptop with me. Even if the person I asked was honest and willing to watch my laptop, the could easily be distracted or need to do their own business. Just take the worry off yourself and your potential laptop guardian by bring your laptop along.

knyghtryda

I would never leave a laptop unattended - if its with me I shut it down - put it in my bag - which is then locked with a combination lock - then the bag goes where I go.

Mostly now I use the HTC Shift (its vista OS but I have just this morning put Ubuntu on) - a UMPC the size of a hardback makes it easy.

I do carry this to the loo (US translation = bathroom/WC) - in its protective leather case but I do worry about just walking away without it after leaving it on the cistern or something.

But using a UMPC in a coffee shop gets you a lot of taps on the shoulder asking "What is....?" which can be a pain if you literally have just a couple of minutes to update stuff.

And carrying a little leather case does look very much of a ManBag - but then this is europe! I suppose I could pretend it a shaving kit?

davidebrady

I wouldn't leave my purse sitting there while I went to the loo, and my laptop has more info on it. (And unlike my credit cards, I can't call in to cancel the thing if it's stolen.)

So I don't see the dilemma: if you didn't plan ahead or suddenly have to go (or stayed there so long that the coffee's bursting your bladder), then take the thing with you.

Seems like one of those "Duh" things to me.

VenomousKate

All of the people who answered "I leave it because I come here all the time and people know me". You will have your laptop stolen eventually.

Do not delude yourself into thinking that your aquantinces at the coffee shop will physically stop someone from grabbing your laptop and running out the door. You can be 100% sure that all the places where people with laptops gather are visited regularly by professional thieves.

Stolen laptops are easier to sell on the street than solid gold. It only takes 2-3 seconds for someone to walk by your table, yoink the power cord and breeze out of the store with your machine and your data.

I had a laptop stolen out of my car in 2003. I would have gladly bought the thief a brand new machine of his choosing if I could have gotten my data back.

bdgbill

Um, to all the people saying "just use the library?" you don't think your stuff will be stolen in the library?! Happens ALL THE TIME. I've been known to leave little notes on students abandoned laptops that say "If I were a thief, this would be gone right now - the librarian" on it.

rockstarlibrarian

I saw maybe one other response with my favored solution...that's sad.

Just hold it. If it wasn't so bloody urgent that you didn't need to go before you sat down, then your average human is more than capable of holding it in for several hours, then you can go when you leave (when you've packed everything up). If you're killing more than 5 hours at a sit in a coffee shop, then maybe gravity is kicking your bladder to remind you to get up and do something else.

Sometimes the most logical solution is also the easiest.

TendoMentis