Merchandise display and anti-theft system

A merchandise display and anti-theft system, for use in conjunction with an existing support structure such as a merchandise shelf, and with an existing laptop computer, for displaying the computer and allowing a customer hands-on access to the computer, while preventing the computer from being stolen by a thief, wherein the computer has a monitor hingeably attached to a keyboard, said keyboard having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front, a rear, and two lateral sides, comprising:

• a base plate onto which the computer is selectively anchored, having a front, a rear, two lateral sides, an upper surface upon which the lower surface of the keyboard selectively rests, and a lower surface which rests upon the merchandise shelf while the system is being deployed;
• a rail which selectively attaches to a portion of the base plate, and which is itself selectively anchored to the merchandise shelf;
• a locking device for selectively locking the base plate to the rail;
• a crossbar which selectively extends laterally across the base plate and attaches to the base plate, in order to selectively secure the keyboard to the base plate;
• an adjustable rear bar which is selectively attachable to the base plate, for restraining the rearward motion of the keyboard upon the base plate and for preventing a would-be thief from sliding the keyboard rearward underneath the crossbar during an attempt to abscond with the computer;
• an adjustable front bracket assembly which is selectively attachable to the base plate, for engaging the front of the keyboard in order to restrain the forward motion of the keyboard on the base plate and for preventing the would-be thief from sliding the keyboard forward underneath the crossbar during an attempt to abscond with the computer;
• and
• wherein the keyboard of the computer is attached to the base plate, and the rear bar and the front bracket assembly are adjusted, prior to attaching the base plate to the rail which has itself been attached to the shelf.