Starting today the Transportation Safety Administration is adopting new rules for traveling with laptops. For years we've had to take them out of our carry on for separate x-ray. I've still had to turn it on in some places top prove it actually was a functioning laptop.
These below types of laptop bags will allow you to put your laptop through the the x-ray device without removing it. These bags allow the laptop to lay flat without zippers, snaps and other metal objects between the laptop and the x-ray.
These types of bags are no goes...which is a particular bummer for me, as I travel with a backpack.
You can find more information on the TSA site here.