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This is what I posted the last time this topic came up...
The FAA takes air safety VERY seriously (which is a good thing). You would not believe the amount of testing that is required to certify a new piece of electronic gear to be installed on an airplane, and this is stuff coming from companies that are specifically designing electronics for flight operations. The FAA's main point of view is that if it has not been thoroughly tested and certified, then they don't want to take the risk. If they don't KNOW that a device is safe, then they say that you have to turn it off. If you look at it case by case, are there some devices where it seems silly to require them being turned off... sure. But the general policy from the FAA is, for the most part, a good one. If they're not positive it's safe, then the answer is no. The only way they are positive is if it goes through their certification.
No company selling consumer electronics (cell phones, ebook readers, etc) that are not specifically being designed/sold for flight operations is going to want to spend the amount of time and especially money it would take to get it certified by the FAA. Such use would only be a tiny part of their market anyway.
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