All cheap smartphones have a fingerprint sensor but all laptops dont have one. Is it because of security concerns or spacing reasons?
Because you very rarely need to actually log in on your laptop. You lock and open your phone dozens of times per day, but you’ll probably log in once or twice on your laptop and that’s it. It’s not a feature many people would care about.
I always lock my computer when I walk away from it so my dog can’t start hacking the CIA.
I unlock my 1Password vault(s) with fingerprint, so it’s much more useful than just logging into the laptop. which at work I log into many more times a day than once or twice.
I use the TouchID on my MacBook several times a day because it unlocks the password manager and wallet.
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“Rarely?” This is anecdotally very false, and I don’t think I’m that much of an outlier. Do you have stats on that?
As a student, I unlock my laptop several times per day.
The following is just my own assumptions, take with a grain of salt.
Phones are often taken out to perform a quick task, then stashed back in a pocket/bag many times a day. As such, being able to unlock a phone quickly is a rather useful feature.
On the other hand, laptops are usually taken out to be used for larger tasks, and as such, do not need to be unlocked as often.
Fingerprint scanners add less value to a laptop than they do a phone.
What about the fact that fingerprints make great usernames but trash passwords? Perhaps the poor security and extra hardware and software are enough to discourage makers, they can add a variant with a FPS and if that doesn’t sell at all they won’t make many others.
Right. Fingerprint is something you are. Can’t be changed. Same for any biometric.
Useful as one part of a multiple factor authentication scheme at best but never on its own. Not to mention there are cases in the US where you can be compelled, forcibly if needed, to unlock a phone. But compelling you to “say” what your password may be covered under fifth amendment protections.
Not to mention it’s very unlikely that you have secrets on the phone as valuable as your thumb.
This is why I only use biometrics for website passwords and the App Store on my Apple devices. To unlock requires a password, which cannot be forced (though at least one judge kept a man in jail for contempt of court for not unlocking a device, which should be illegal under the fifth imo).
All Mac laptops do. And my work Windows PC looks like it has one but the company was too cheap to pay for it, so all it has is a spot that looks like a fingerprint sensor.
money. laptop assembly lines are very diversified even within the same line of laptops to include/not include components to save on price. phones are more fully integrated preventing such customization.
ie, it saves money. you want it, you get to pay for it
“All cheap smartphones have fingerprint sensors”
That is what’s known as begging the question.
Could also be considered a strawman in this case.
PC Hardware makers/sellers think about saving every last penny they can, to improve and maintain their profit margins.
Cell phone makers/sellers don’t have that same requirement as much, as cell phones can be sold or be subsidized for with higher profit margins, so they can feel more relaxed with including more features.
Finally, it may just come down to cell phone OS companies Google and Apple pressuring cell phone makers to include that hardware, where there is no equivalent organizations for PC Hardware makers.
Laptop has keyboard, you can type your password with the same speed as pressing your finger and waiting for it to unlock.
Most casual users won’t even know that their laptop has a fingerprint sensor.
When a company needs a proper security, they buy every user a hardware token like Yubikey.
But most of all, it comes down to the tradition. Manufacturers won’t add fingerprint scanner because users do not demand firgerprint scanner. Users do not demand fingerprint scanner because they are used to have no fingerprint scanner. Try removing a fingerprint scanner from a phone, you’ll see your sales drop like a brick.
My dell precision beast of a mobile workstation does
poop
Cause typing in a password on a real keyboard is just as fast if not faster than a fingerprint scan.
