Hate to break it to you, but planes are private property & airlines are private sector businesses.  They can restrict whatever they want.  In fact, in legal terms they are "common carriers" much like bus lines & train co's.  This means they have a greater duty to you, the public, as a passenger; & they have a higher standard they must adhere to.  If they want to ban laptops it's their prerogative.  I'm sure a couple of passengers on these planes prob. did have pocketknives or food knives, but fear of a possible onboard bomb kept them from doing anything.  Remember, most passengers on hijacked planes in the 80's got through it alive by following the hijacker's orders.  How can you know for sure whether you're a hero for rushing them, or whether you sealed the fate of dozens of fellow passengers?
  What I don't understand is why planes don't have CC cameras from cockpit to cabin.  Pilots could depressurize the cabin, then one goes back w/ his oxygen and disarms/tazers, stabs/beats/cuffs the knocked out bad guys while other pilot drops them to altitude to make sure the passengers will live.

Sounds like a clear case of negligent marketing.