It is sort of a mute point to me, and a friggin' nightmare if they stop allowing laptops on planes. You think I would trust my laptop in the hands of ramp service,?

There are tons of places beyond a laptop to hide a small amount of C4 OR a small amount of 2 liquids (or a solid and a small amount of a liquid) that when mixed can cause huge issues (extreme temperatures, highly acidic, flame...etc) .
In the days when TSA wanted you to start up the pc (which will probably return)....just because your pc starts up, doesn't mean there is not a small amount of C4 stashed in the spare Hard Disk or CD slot.
Mandatory extensive checking for explosives is probably what is necessary. The way they check for explosives now.....just required to wipe down everything.
The liquid issue is another story....what really is in the toothpaste tube or mouthwash bottle?