What does the TSA say is a laptop computer? My Palm Pilot runs windows. My Sharp Wizard is programmable. My Powerbase universal battery is the same size and shape as a laptop, but it doesn't turn on or have a screen. What if I'm carrying disassembled components, like extra hard drives or boards? What if I pack a small desktop computer box? What if I've got one of those mini-laptops the size of a half-sheet of paper? The TSA's rule that computers are somehow special and completely different from all the other assorted electronic junk we carry is another example of its asinine obsession with specific objects and its corresponding lack of regard for real security.

If the TSA required all electronic equipment larger than a palm pilot to be out of bags and each in its own container, I know that emptying my bag would take about 10 containers. Omascreener's suggestion is not policy because waits would double and the results would be completely farcical, with many passengers having more items than will even fit on the X-ray line.