I had a TSA screener all but yell at me in front of the rest of the line, as to "whether or not I had understood their simple instructions" to take computers out of bags. I responded that I had . . . my laptop was by itself in a bin. I had a smallish video game console in my carry-on bag (didn't trust it in checked), and apparently they felt it qualified as a computer.

I spent the next 20 minutes sitting there while they pulled every single item out of my bags, inspected them, and then repacked them badly and let me go on my way. Like most things TSA related, it just all depends on who's doing the screening and their mood at the time. If you can take it out and put it in a separate bin easily, its better to be safe.