[amelius]

Solution: batteries should be removable from the laptop. And there should be battery-exchange points at airports where people can leave their batteries in exchange for a token which they can use to get another battery at the destination airport.

[mmagin]

Thus everyone will travel with their most worn-out battery in the hope of getting a better one.

[dTal]

If you follow through the implications of this, it's horribly dystopian. Every country in the world needs to be on board. No innovation in form factor is possible (you'd need to persuade every country to carry your battery). No diversity either (the system becomes unworkable with more than a few types of battery).

But why stop there? We should all just use identical, world-government-approved standard laptops and copy the data around, Chromebook-style. Neatly solves the pesky "people carrying their own data" problem too, by forcing it onto the network where it can be safely monitored and policed.

shiver

[syrrim]

Hardly a solution. People are expecting to be able to use their electronic devices while in-flight. Removing the battery would remove that capability.

[amelius]

Solution: on-flight power outlets.

[panzagl]

Or bring a book.

[panzagl]

The terrorists might be doing us a favor if we get a standard removable battery for all laptops out of this.