Laptops

[DAVE PINNER]

I noticed your question to Henry about sending laptops through airport
x-ray machines. The x-rays won't hurt anything, but many people are
afraid that the magnetic fields from the motors in the x-ray machine's
conveyor belts will cause problems. I'm not sure that I'd worry about
even that, but I *might* be a bit concerned about the bumpy ride the
poor laptop would get at the far end of the conveyor once it leaves the
x-ray machine. Most of the time, I'm right at the end, waiting to
retrieve whatever precious stuff I've run through the system, but
once in awhile my stuff ends up being crushed between the prior and
following passengers' stuff in a way that'd make a postal worker proud
during the Christmas mailing rush!

I'd prefer to have my computer inspected by hand. Be prepared to boot
the thing up for the security people. They're a suspicious lot... or
maybe that's only when *I* go through the security check!