Kensington Computer Products Group is an American manufacturer of

personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

peripherals A peripheral device, or simply peripheral, is an auxiliary hardware device that a computer uses to transfer information externally. A peripheral is a hardware component that is accessible to and controlled by a computer but is not a core compo ...

. The company produces peripherals including

docking stations Docking may refer to: In science and technology * Docking and berthing of spacecraft, the process of joining one spacecraft or space station module to another * Docking (molecular), a research technique for predicting the relative orientation of t ...

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, and the eponymous

Kensington Lock Kensington Security lock: unlocked, locked The Kensington Security Slot is the rightmost opening on the side of this Acer Swift 3 laptop computer The Kensington Security Slot (also called a K-Slot or Kensington lock) is an anti-theft system for ...

security cable. Headquartered in

Burlingame, California Burlingame () is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame and is known for its ...

, Kensington is a division of

ACCO Brands ACCO Brands Corporation is an American multinational company. It was created by the merger of ACCO World from Fortune Brands with General Binding Corporation (GBC). History In 1903, Fred J. Kline founded the Clipper Manufacturing Company (a m ...

History

Co-founded by Philip Damiano as Kensington Microware in 1981, their first product was called the System Saver, an accessory for the

Apple IIe The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Inc., Apple Computer. It was released in January 1983 as the successor to the Apple II Plus. The ''e'' in the name stands for ...

that added a cooling fan and surge protection. In 1986, the company was acquired by ACCO Brands. Kensington's first

trackball A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down ball mouse (computing), mouse with an exposed protruding ball. Users roll the ball t ...

mouse was the Turbo Mouse for

Macintosh Mac is a brand of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), a reference to the McIntosh (apple), McIntosh apple. The current product lineup inclu ...

released in 1986 and trackballs have since been one of the major offerings by the company. Their first laptop physical security lock was made in 1992. Kensington also produced accessories for portable devices like the

iPod The iPod is a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple Inc. from 2001 to 2022. The iPod Classic#1st generation, first version was released on November 10, 2001, about mon ...

, including the Stereo Dock in 2005.

Products

Kensington primarily sells computer accessories, such as

and keyboards as well as

power supplies A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage, current, and frequency to power the load. As a r ...

and anti-theft systems for computers and electronic devices. They have also made cases for laptops and other consumer electronics, such as the KeyFolio Expert protective case for

iPad The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and later iPadOS. The IPad (1st generation), first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. ...

.Kensingtons KeyFolio Expert im Test: Universelle iPad-Schutzhülle mit Tastatur
netzwelt, retrieved 18 May 2012. The use of the accessories is aimed at both fixed and mobile workstations. Kensington Expert Mouse Wired Trackball 64325

Kensington Expert Mouse Wired Trackball 64325

The company offers the

, an

anti-theft system Anti-theft systems protect valuables such as vehicles and personal property like wallets, phones, and jewelry. They are also used in retail settings to protect merchandise in the form of security tags and labels. Anti-theft systems include devices ...

for laptops and other peripherals, together with a range of individual locking systems with various options to secure computing devices such as

laptop A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a Clamshell design, clamshell form factor (design), form factor with a flat-panel computer scree ...

s, desktops,

projectors A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer typ ...

, TFTs and external hard drives.

References

External links

* {{cite web , title=Computer Products & Accessories: Locks & Docks , url=https://www.kensington.com/ , access-date=2024-01-13 , website=Kensington ACCO Brands Computer companies of the United States Computer hardware companies Security