Doc Searls has an interesting entry in his weblog today about RF interference and the impact that notebooks with WiFi electronics may (or may not) have on commercial airlines. As someone who is likely to use a TiBook on the plane (it gets over 4 hours on a charge!), I wonder about this. After all, I did recently put an AirPort card (ironic name, huh?) in it. And removing the card is a non-trivial task.

Posted by jzawodn at July 11, 2002 03:14 PM

Reader Comments
# Ask Bjoern Hansen said:

If you just disable the AirPort interface, the card should be powered down too.

That's how it was in MacOS 9 anyway.

on July 11, 2002 04:42 PM
# Derek said:

I dunno, I've had my laptop on a number of flights, including international flights, and never bothered turning the AirPort card off.

If it wasn't for the fact that I'm on it at the time, I'd say "if the plane is so poorly designed that a 900MHz device is gonna put it in the ground then it gets what it deserves".

on July 11, 2002 07:14 PM
# DotWind said:

I don't think WiFi causes any problems with the onboard instruments, I actually just recently wrote an article on how now they offer it commercially you are welcome to check it out here : http://blog.dotwind.com/wireless_internet_on_airplanes_reporting_from_36.html

on January 26, 2005 11:02 PM
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