Originally Posted by
Superguy
And it's still emitting the same signal my laptop does when WiFi is on. Yet that's safer somehow having an FAA sticker on it ...
I recently watched a rerun of Mythbusters that focused on this.
They were able to show interference from older cell phones with NAV equip in a "cockpit" they assembled in the shop. Significant interference. However, on the ground in a private jet, no interference was registered due to proper equip. shielding.
So they asked the FAA why make us turn them off. The answer was that the potential existed that past tech. would interfere AND that phone/wifi technology changes constantly-particularly phone. They cannot keep up with testing and safety of those changes. So, they just keep them off.
In your example, the inflight equipment is known and tested. Your laptop isnt.