Banning duty free spirits would be a good thing anyway - imagine what damage a few bottles of burning spirits could do in a toilet ceiling. Pax could buy their spirits on arrival at duty free instead.
Yes, or a broken bottle is a much nastier weapon than a nailfile!
On the laptops issue, I have to say that my experience must be much better than everybody else's - I usually check everything in except for in-flight reading matter, my camera and my flying logbook and licences (if I'm travelling with them); I've yet to lose anything. But, for those who have had a problem, it's probably a very safe assumption that the level of police supervision of the checked-in baggage, during the current fun and games, will be really quite tight indeed!
In the meantime, I'm going to believe that this was genuine, necessary, the threat was real and that even if today wasn't the terrorists planned operational day, it had to be assumed that they might have a backup "go now" plan if part of the gang were rumbled. So, on that basis well done the good guys.
Now my own tiny note of discord. If these precautions have got to continue for long (which I hope isn't the case), please airlines could we have a decent supply of reading matter, pens and scribbling paper on board - or I'll go mad on a long trip!
G