It has been said that to succeed in the Internet-era, all you need is a computer, a connection, and some creativity. This may be true in many cases, but there ARE times when something different is needed.

For instance, if you are teaching a group of students how to write in a computer environment, one computer is just not going to be enough. Or, say you have a staff of writers who need to be on a computer at the same time. And what happens if you need a computer that can actually travel with you? The standard one-computer setup is not going to be able to handle these situations.

So, what can be done in these situations? Well, if you have a HUGE amount of money to spend, you might buy several laptop computers. There are, however, other solutions. A number of devices can be useful when it comes to expanding the capabilities of your organization. As your business grows, you might consider using a mix of these devices to give you flexibility and efficiency. In addition to purchasing laptop computers, you might also consider personal digital assistants (or PDAs) and portable word-processors.

The nice thing about laptops is that they are compatible with your desktop system as long as you buy ones that use the same operating system and platform. The downside is obvious: they are expensive, battery-life is short, they weigh 6 or more lbs. and they require lots of care.

Personal Digital Assistants, or PDAs, are easy to carry, and can do a multitude of tasks, including date keeping, quick note-taking, and other computer-related activities. They also cost significantly less than laptops. However, many PDAs still have problems communicating with a desktop computer. Also, if the main use of the device is for data entry (such as word processing), then a PDA is an awkward tool.

An alternative is a Portable Word Processor. It allows users to do the most common tasks, such as writing and transferring text to a computer or printer. Some Word Processors also have additional features such as built-in, interactive calculators. These calculators can do math in a word-processing-like environment, meaning that a user can type data into a math-file and save it -- just like composing and saving a word-file.

Another feature that the best models have is an IR interface so that assignments and projects can be beamed directly into the units -- a great feature for a teacher or for a manager passing out work assignments. For instance, when used with the interactive calculator, teachers can "beam" word problems to their students. The students can then compose math expressions to solve the problems and insert text remarks to explain their methodology. If corrections are needed, the students can revise both their text AND math expressions and have the results re- calculated automatically. The best part is that, like PDAs, these devices are light, inexpensive, very durable and rugged, and extremely reliable.

As technology and the "Information Arts" grow, there will be an increasing amount of reliance upon portability and flexibility.