So, you can see what (mostly) everyone would choose there.
The only bonus was that security man managed to walk me around the 2-hour long security line.
That seems... fine? They're not asking you unlock your laptop, just to turn it on, presumably to prove it's actually a laptop and not a bomb in a laptop's case.
Not a bomb expert, but a laptop is just a bunch of electronics next to a solid mass (for the battery). A bomb is also just a bunch electronics next to a solid mass (for the explosive).
>I mean, what's the other option - would they arrest a person carrying non-working/for-parts hardware?
I doubt they'll arrest you, but I vaguely remember airline websites saying that any laptops you bring MUST be able to turn on so they might confiscate it.
I was manually searched on my last trip because I refused to go through the millimeter wave scanner.