Scott Hanselman

I picked up a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader, which is a Digital Persona straight re-brand.

I'm seriously digging it. The registration process (shown at left) is fantastic. It's smooth, it's accurate and best of all it's simple.

Once you've clicked a few fingers and registered it, you can use any finger you want to indicate that it's you.

If you're on a web page with a name/password dialog when you touch the reader, you're prompted to enter your combo. After that, the software will automatically enter your password when you touch the reader. You can also touch the reader first, then pick what page you'd like to visit.

Either way, I've stopped entering passwords since I got this little gem. I've plugged it into the USB Hub on my DELL LCD Monitor, so it's always at hand (no pun intended) and it doesn't take up a USB Root Port on the main system.

Good Things:

• It integrates with the Windows XP Ctrl-Alt-Del Login or Welcome Screen without changing it.
• Non-intrusive and stays our of your way. No modal dialogs.
• It's shiny

Bad Things:

• You could cut off my finger, go to my house and log into my machine. Ah, but which finger!? I gotcha, evil doers. Unless, you take the whole hand. Er. Ick.
• I can't figure out from the super-simple interface where to EDIT or DELETE an existing password. It must be there, and it's mentioned in the help, but I swear, I can't find it.
• Rare: If you already have a Ctrl-Alt-Del replacement, perhaps for VPN software like Cisco, you can't use the reader for your primary login.
• Can be spoofed if you use a gummy bear with ridges cut to register your fingers initially.

It's definitely worth the money and I use it every day.

Now playing: Eve - Gotta Man

About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. I am a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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