I HAVE AN APPLE POWERBOOK WITH two groups of things on it: stuff I acknowledge and stuff I probably shouldn't acknowledge.
In the first category I have all the standard programs: WordPerfect and Excel and my calendar.
But I also have an F16 flight simulator program, which is what I play with on the airplane when I travel. Everybody thinks I'm working, but I'm not.
Of course, most companies have rules about loading personal software on company equipment, so I'll probably get in trouble with our auditors for this.
MY LAPTOP HAS A word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics package. I use the word processor for memos and manuals, the spreadsheet for financial analyses and invoicing, and graphics for presentations.
I also keep some personal correspondence on the laptop, which I use daily.
I TRAVEL A LOT SO I KEEP A LOT OF stuff on my Apple PowerBook. I have my calendar, my contact and client management systems, a fax modem, a high-speed, 50-kilobit modem, spreadsheets, a data base, my personal time sheets, project plans, a scheduling system, and a word processor.
I'd say the graphics capabilities and the ability to communicate with offices and clients around the world are most important to me, since I travel so much.
WE RECENTLY ATTENDED A HOUSING fair at Madison Square Garden where we offered prospects free instant credit reports. We're looking at the ability to do mortgage origination in the field, but we're not doing that yet.
We have some communications software so we can dial into the branches and do updates or do diagnostics right from our offices.
We've got Lotus 1-2-3, faxing capabilities, and utilities programs.
We just went public, so our invest relations group uses laptops for graphics and presentations for annual meetings and also board meetings.
Rather than staying late in the office, many of our people take the laptops home and work while they're sitting in front of their TV's watching Letterman. In that way, it's been a nice tool to have.
I KEEP A DIRECTORY OF EVERY compact disk in my collection. I also keep a list of the books I own and the books that I want to read. I keep my personal finances on my PowerBook; I use Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money software.
I communicate with both my sons who are in college through CompuServe. We all have Apple hardware.
For business, I use the world's very best information management system. It's based on a product called More 3.1 from Symantec Corp. and it integrates word processing, graphics, charting, and presentation software. I've been using it for six years and I now have it highly tailored for my personal use. I'm also a heavy user of macros and preprogrammed keys. Any function that I do daily, weekly, or even monthly is programmed.
I USE MY LAPTOP PRIMARILY FOR word processing, my calendar, and E-mail. I'm not a power user; I'm more of a simple user.
I use the laptop daily, but especially when I travel, which is about four or five days a month.
I don't play any of those computer games. I've watched my children play, and that's convinced me I probably wouldn't be any good at those games.
IT'S AN EXTENSION OF MY OFFICE. I have software that allows me to work on presentations, preparing overheads and memos. I also have project management software so I can track all the different projects I'm working on. For example, we are in the midst of a service quality program, and I can keep track of that. I also have an executive information system package, where I can develop repository information and develop management reports.
I have desktop Macs both at work and also at home, so with my PowerBook I have complete transportability.
