When traveling with my powerbook, is there anything i should be aware of? Will the airport xray scanners or whatever fry anything in my powerbook. What about CDs? CDRW Drives, and blanks CDs?

And i have heard the warning about electronic devices or something on the plane's intercom. Can you use the laptop on the plane?

[ATP Tour Fan]

I have never had anyone try to have me test out my PowerBook for them at the security table, but just in case, I always leave it sleeping (which I do already anyway) so it can start up quickly and I can be on my way.

You cannot use any electronic devices on a plane until it has reached cruising altitude. This information is usually given via the intercom system or when they turn off the seatbelt signs.

Sometimes, they want all electronics off while taxying to the runway so they can clearly communicate with the air traffic control tower.

X-rays don't do anything to powerbooks.

If you have AirPort in your PowerBook, turn it off in the control strip module when entering the plane.

Cool. Thanks

And what about things like cdr drives, and blanks/writable cds?

I have heard that the airport scanners instantly burn/toast blank cds... is this true? Will i have to take it out and ask them to pass it "around" the scanner?

[denim]

They've asked me to activate my Wallstreet. Other times, they've checked it for explosives. It happens.

(unrelated) Another time, when I was bringing an Aerobed matress, they wanted to know what it was, but they refused my offer to inflate it.

[romeosc]

Originally posted by keston:
When traveling with my powerbook, is there anything i should be aware of? Will the airport xray scanners or whatever fry anything in my powerbook. What about CDs? CDRW Drives, and blanks CDs?

And i have heard the warning about electronic devices or something on the plane's intercom. Can you use the laptop on the plane?

I use my pismo on the plane all the time.... I have even had several people
want to stand in aisle & watch when I run a DVD. One Flight attendant questioned my choice of Diehard as being in poor taste.

I have been asked to wake it up when going through security, but they have never asked me to print anything on my
HP 340. Strange!

[jaguarandi]

It depends on where you're going. For some international destinations, they will make you open up the unit and prove that it works as a matter of course. Also, be sure to take a copy of your receipt with you if you leave the country (for customs - to prove that you owned it upon departure did not buy it in the country you were visiting).

I have taken my Pismo with DVDs, CDs, extra batteries, etc. through airport scanners, both handheld and conveyor, and never had

As a side note, some countries prohibit the importation of pornography, banned religious/political material, etc. This includes any files that one may have on their HD.

//e

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Does anyone have anything to contribute toward the matter of blanks/burnable cdr discs (not already burned discs)? That is one of my main concerns.

[tjcrebs]

I wouldn't be worried, keston, about your blank CD's or DVD's.

Airport security most often use x-ray and gamma-gamma density electromagnetic-spectral devices to check your luggage/carry-on's etc. Electromagnetic and magnetic devices can theoretically cause trouble with magnetic media like hard-drives, zip-drives, floppies, etc., but since the early 90's, the field intensity of airport scanning devices have been decreased, so that problems with magnetic storage-media due to airport scanners is of "negligible" probability. I often fly all over the world, 30-40 times a year and I've never had any problem with my Powerbook's hard-drives (or floppies, when they had 'em).

CD and DVD technology is quite a bit different (i.e., non-magnetic) technology. Fairly high-intensity lasers are used to etch ("burn") pits into the plastic CD/DVD media to produce the binary "1"s and "0"s which are the language of digital CD/DVD-media. I know of no airport device which uses laser's or heat-source of the intensity to harm your CD/DVD's.

Relax, dude, and enjoy flying with your Powerbook. I do.

Good Luck,
Terry J. Crebs
Registered Mining Geophysicist
Lakewood, Colorado

P.S. Leather paper-weights filled with lead "shot" which I use to flatten out my rolled maps, really set off the security scanners and cause airport-security "eyes to get really BIG". If you want no delays, avoid putting any leaded product in any carry-on bag.

[Dan Szwarc]

I agree. CD-Rs/RWs are optical media. No Xray or magnetic field will affect them, especially if they are stowed inside a carry-on.

I recently went to Germany and back with my Powerbook. No problems. No questions. I never even had to unpack it. But don't check it, carry it with your carry-ons.

If you want to be safe, back everything up before you go. You can never have a bad excuse for backing up data.

------------------
Dan
Michigan Lincoln & Continental Owners Club

[tooki]

Indeed, I'd be much more worried about the machine getting stolen than the data getting lost, seeing as how the latter "just ain't gonna happen".

So be sure to wrap the strap around your leg when you stop so nobody can swipe it.

tooki

[VerdeSpider]

Not sure if it was the x-rays or just my bad luck, but I took my TiPB on my trip with me and was excited to actually watch my own movie. I put it through the x-ray machine not even thinking that it would be a problem. When I started the computer, it crashed 3 times immediately after I put in the DVD - then I got the blinking ? at startup. I had to wait until I returned from my trip to boot up from the install CD's. I have tried to restore and even install the system software with NO LUCK. Now I am zero-ing out the hard drive and trying again. Not sure if it was the x-ray's or not, but I am totally bummed out!

...still waiting for the fan to kick on too - think i got myself a lemon!

-ck

Under Mac help, do a search on airport.
It should bring up a page called: "Using your computer in airplanes and airports."

It gives tips on how to get it safely through the airport.
-Ask airport security to hand inspect it instead of putting it though the X-ray machine.
-Keep a charged battery and have it asleep so you can turn it on for them (I presume this is so they can make sure you didn't hollow out the case of a 1" thin laptop to smuggle stuff)
-If it has to go through an X-ray machine, place it close to the entrance and pick it up immediately after it exits.

[romeosc]

Don't worry, I have taken my Pismo 400 and never had any problems. I have been asked to "open & make it do something", guess security was having a bad day!.

Beware, make sure to turn off airport card. My brother was on the same flight I was on and just to see it it worked, I sent him a couple of files while he was doing his daily reports. A few minutes later a rather anoyed flight attendent came on speaker and asked that whoever had a "radio transmitter" on the plane to please stop using it. I quietly switched off airport and was glad that was the end of the incident.

I always take CDRs and CDRWs with me and have never had any problems.

Steve

[danbrew]

You'll have no worries with your laptop at airport security. I've got well over 1,000,000 miles (really) since 1989 and I've had a luggable or laptop with me for almost every flight. I have routinely sent media of all sorts (tapes, cds, cd-r, dvd, floppy, etc.) through the x-ray machine hundreds of times with no problems. Depending upon the airport, the security personnel, and the country, they may decide to have you make the computer turn on a few lights. But, damn, how easy would it be for you to put a small pistol inside of a fake dvd drive or other component and then power up the system for the security geeks. It'd be very easy. Blank CD media is of no particular worry.

Some suggestions for you road warriors:

1. Get an Empower compatible power supply -- many airlines, even domestic flights, offer power at the seat.
2. Politely ask the person in front of you to give you a heads up if they decide they want to recline their seat. Explain you're using a laptop and you want to ensure it isn't damaged. I always include, "feel free to relax, but just let me know in advance, please" -- I can count on one hand where somebody has actually reclined their seat after this conversation.
3. Go get a set of active noise canceling headsets. Bose makes a set, about $300, a few other players have them as well. They do a super job of protecting your hearing and almost eliminating the high frequency noise from the engine. They're small and travel well too.
4. Carry an RJ45 and ethernet cable. You never know where you'll find an ethernet connection or need to make a quick call.
5. Carry a few DVDs for the flight and/or hotel. (man, the Ti makes a great home theater for the hotel... coupled with the headset, it is a full-featured theater).
6. Carry a full set of backup CDs that will enable you to be productive. Boot OS CD w/extensions in the system folder, copies of your primary business applications, recent data file backups. I can make do with less than six or seven CDs. And rarely need them... of course the only time you'll need it is when you don't have it.
7. Hard copy list of local or 800 access numbers for your corpnet or ISP.
8. Several gigs of MP3s.


I have used really huge carry on cases in the past, but now have managed to get everything above + a TiPB into a relatively small 10x12x4 carry on.

:->