FLC OF A SUPER MD80 FAILED TO FOLLOW THE ARR STAR TRACK RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION AND A VECTOR TO GET BACK ON COURSE. PROB FOUND TO BE A PAX USE OF A LAPTOP COMPUTER.

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LOCATION: FQM ARR TO EWR. WE WERE FLYING THE FQM 118 DEG RADIAL TO 35 DME. THE ACFT EQUIP WAS SHOWING RIGHT ON THE RADIAL FROM BOTH #1 AND #2 VORS. AT ABOUT THE TIME WE SWITCHED TO THE BWZ VOR TO TRACK INBOUND ON THE 302 DEG RADIAL AT 59 DME; CTR CALLED TO GIVE US A VECTOR OF 150 DEGS TO REJOIN THE ARR AS THEY THOUGHT WE WERE SEVERAL MI N OF COURSE. THERE WAS INDEED A 2 DOT DISPLACEMENT ON OUR INSTS TUNED TO BWZ 114.2; BUT NO ERROR PREVIOUSLY ON FQM 114.4. I TOLD THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO CHK FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIP. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 17000 FT AND ELECTRONIC EQUIP USE WAS NOT PROHIBITED; BUT THERE WAS A TOSHIBA TECHRA 700CT IN USE THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ANOMALY. WE WERE NOT SO FAR OFF COURSE AS TO CAUSE AN ATC PROB; BUT I AM SUBMITTING THIS ASAP PRIMARILY TO ADD TO THE DATABASE CONCERNING INTERFERENCE FROM PORTABLE ELECTRONIC EQUIP WHICH IS FAR MORE PREVALENT THAN I THINK PEOPLE REALIZE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 359543: THE SEARCH TURNED UP A PAX USING A TOSHIBA TECHRA 700CT LAPTOP COMPUTER. THE FLT ATTENDANT ASKED THAT THE COMPUTER BE TURNED OFF AND THE PAX COMPLIED. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN #359547 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLC TO XCHK FURTHER BEFORE THE PAX COMPUTER WAS FOUND AND TURNED OFF. HOWEVER; HE DID EMPHASIZE THAT THE LARGE CORRECTION GIVEN BY ATC; TOGETHER WITH THE FACT THAT THE FLT WAS 5 MI OFF COURSE; IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO BE NOTICED. A CHK WAS MADE TO ASSURE THAT THE PROPER VOR WAS TUNED IN AND WITH THE PROPER COURSE SETTING.