AirPort/iBook on a plane

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Mike Flugennock - 19 Mar 2007 20:04 GMT

I recently brought my iBook along on a trip out of the country -- in
fact, I'm still here now -- but was unable to look at some DVDs on the
plane over as I was unsure that turning off AirPort in the System Prefs
panel actually shut off power to the AirPort hardware, or if it just
shuts off the software interaction and, since I didn't know for sure, I
wound up having to keep the iBook off and stowed, like my cellphone and
all other "non-approved electronic equipment". No big loss, I suppose,
as I had a couple of good books with me, but still...

But aaa-aanyway, does anybody else here have experience with
AirPort-equipped Mac laptops on airliners? Does choosing "turn AirPort
off" actually cut power to the card, or just shut down the software
interface, leaving the AirPort hardware powered up and still emitting
signal?

TIA,

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"Though I could not caution all, I still might warn a few:
Don't lend a hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!"

--grateful dead.
___________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
"Mikey'zine": dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

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David C. - 19 Mar 2007 21:13 GMT

> I recently brought my iBook along on a trip out of the country -- in
> fact, I'm still here now -- but was unable to look at some DVDs on the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> interface, leaving the AirPort hardware powered up and still emitting
> signal?

Yes: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh674.html

So turn off AirPort and play your DVD.

This, of course, assumes that your airline allows computers and DVD
drives to be turned on. British Airways bans all Apple and Dell laptops
(they're afraid your battery will catch fire). Alitalia bans all
optical drives (don't ask me why - it makes no sense to me.)

-- David

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Mike Flugennock - 20 Mar 2007 01:54 GMT

>> But aaa-aanyway, does anybody else here have experience with
>> AirPort-equipped Mac laptops on airliners? Does choosing "turn AirPort
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> So turn off AirPort and play your DVD.

Great! Thanks!

> This, of course, assumes that your airline allows computers and DVD
> drives to be turned on...

Well, my wife and I almost always fly American Airlines, which allows
laptops/DVD drives and standalone DVD players, but only if your laptop
is able to switch its wireless off.

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Clever Monkey - 19 Mar 2007 21:16 GMT

I suspect all it does is "down" the interface so that there is no device
for the TCP/IP stack to build on.

It is probably still powered up. Whether or not an idle and "down"
device actually emits any (significant) RF is unknown to me, and might
even differ from device to device.

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Clark Martin - 22 Mar 2007 00:51 GMT

> > I recently brought my iBook along on a trip out of the country -- in
> > fact, I'm still here now -- but was unable to look at some DVDs on the
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> device actually emits any (significant) RF is unknown to me, and might
> even differ from device to device.

No, it turns off the power to it. It's why some people turn off the
airport, to conserve battery power.

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Clark Martin
Redwood City, CA, USA Macintosh / Internet Consulting

"I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway"

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / March 2007

AirPort/iBook on a plane