The branch of the federal government that I work for has no problem with employees using government equipment to check personal emails (as long as it isn't abused). Porn, logging into personal financial sites, and trading stocks are about the only things specifically proscribed. Web-use at work is logged but not reviewed (there's too much of it and, being a research center, the sites accessed can be a bit eclectic), but there isn't anybody reading over my shoulder if I use my laptop at home. Of course there isn't a time-clock here and most of us happily work more than 40 hours a week (science research), so my situation may be an anomaly. That said, one of my buddies is an Army Major and he uses his laptop for personal stuff too, so maybe not. I guess it's kind of like a fringe benefit. I've worked in the private sector and things weren't any different there; people use the internet throughout the day for a variety of purposes, private and business.
A company that has a policy against its employees using assigned laptops for personal internet use (especially after hours) is out of touch with reality. Most people are working more than 40 hours, so it isn't reasonable to expect them not to take care of personal business periodically during the work day.