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250

Provide techonology to track computers that was theft or lost

250 points posted to Software, Desktops and Laptops by mauricio_martins 04/22/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

Dell should provide technology to track a computer of its brand when upon an authorization of the computer's owner.Whenever the computer accesses Dell's website to update/upgrade some parts, the computer should send its service tag and IP in order to notifiy the owner and take the legal procedures to recover the asset.

This could allow Dell to earn some profits selling asset insurance plans and so on.
--- just a remember ---
I don't see any illegality on this operation... Microsoft does the same with Windows' to track validity of the key. The location of the "pirate" is a matter of a "long" (32 bit) number know as IP address that goes when you're connecting to the windowupdate site! :)


The XPS laptops have the "lo jack" service that enables them to be tracked if they are stolen.

captainsensible
04/22/07		 For several models there's CompuTrace.. you turn it on in cmos setup, and if you report it stolen it can be tracked.
steve2
04/22/07		 Any such tech, that actually works, can be abused to track the owner
mauricio_martins
04/23/07		 Steve2: I don't think that's abused. As I said before, it will require proper authorization of the owner. When someone gets a computer from "unusual" means he/she still not the owner. This is the abuse. Computers still being robbed feeding a black market.
moiety
04/23/07		 CompuTrace is already bundled with CompleteCare on many portable systems. Why would anything be improved by Dell duplicating this service?
mauricio_martins
04/23/07		 Is Computrace available in other countries?
richard_b
07/20/07		 Changed status to **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**.
richard_b
07/20/07		 The XPS laptops have the "lo jack" service that enables them to be tracked if they are stolen.
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