Eric Sheppard, Sc.D., dean of the School of Engineering and Technology at Hampton University, still owns and uses his first Macintosh computer. No, not the Mac model you probably saw in an ad run during the 1983 NFL Super Bowl, but the original iMac announced in 1998.

With a 233 MHz PowerPC 750, 32 MB of RAM, a 4 GB hard drive, a 24x CD-ROM, ethernet, stereo speakers, and an integral 15-inch multiscan monitor, Apple lovers say the iMac, the successor to the original Macintosh, broke new ground for an Apple desktop.

But these days, the iBook is more suited to Dean Sheppard's digital lifestyle.

"To be an engineer these days, and a dean, you have to have a computer that's effective to get your work done," says Dean Sheppard. "The iBook is just the right size to move around the house [and] carry when I am traveling."

Billed on Apple's Web site as the "lightest all-in-one consumer notebook on the market," the 12.1-inch iBook G4, the model Dean Sheppard owns, offers brilliant 1024 x 768 pixel resolution -- ideal for spreadsheets, movies, and displaying pictures in millions of colors -- weighs 2.2 kg, is slightly more than 3 cm thin, small enough to fit in a backpack, and is light enough to carry around all day.

Not only can you take the iBook with you, its built-in wireless networking capability means you can work -- or play -- anywhere.
"I use the AirPort wireless Apple system," says Dean Sheppard. "So that I don't have to feel constricted if I want to log onto the Internet or print something."

"The Most Flexible Thing I've Got"

Milton Bryant, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, travels with his Dell notebook.

"It's absolutely essential to be able to conduct normal preparation of documents," says Dr. Bryant, and adds that the computer is "the most flexible thing I've got."

Robert Whalin, Ph.D, P.E., associate dean for engineering at Jackson State University's College of Science, Engineering and Technology in Mississippi, says engineering deans are probably no different from other professionals who travel with laptops and cell phones.

"Some of us travel with BlackBerrys," says Dean Whalin. "You can keep it in your pocket at all times. It's a lot lighter to lug around than a laptop during the day.… At night, it's my laptop in my hotel room. Light is important."

BlackBerry wireless devices from Research In Motion Limited provide the kind of cell phone and e-mail combination that is great for helping you keep in touch with people, wherever you are.

"A cell phone in combination with your e-mail is absolutely necessary," says Eugene DeLoatch, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering at Morgan State University. "People will use a BlackBerry which does both; in my case I use my cell phone and my computer.

"Somehow integrating those two pieces, you could have an iPAQ from HP," as Dean DeLoatch does, "something that carries all of your contact information in it."

Weighing in at 7.29 ounces, the iPAQ fits easily in a pocket. With an enhanced security biometric fingerprint reader, 400-MHz processor with Xscale technology, integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, and more, the little machine is just the kind of the device Dean DeLoatch needs.

"The ability to get to people you need to talk to wherever you are and likewise receive communication from them wherever you are is absolutely essential," he says.

A combination of versatility, mobility, and ease of use is what Ching-Jen Chen, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering at Florida A&M/Florida State University likes in his laptop. Dr. Chen's favorite technology tool is the search engine.

"Its quick and accurate response of the search result is amazing. Google almost puts the library, yellow books, and news at your fingertip," he says.

"Convenience is important," says Joseph Monroe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. "When I am traveling, the lighter it is, the better."

A Dell aficionado, he says although he updates his notebook and cell phone about every other year as new ones come out "with more bells and whistles," he comes across new models and doesn't go looking.

"Evolution is causing us to want all these things in one...." says Dean DeLoatch with a chuckle. "If these new devices, as they come out, provide the function that I need, and they minimize the pieces of equipment that I have to carry around, and are efficient, then I might go with that that. But I don't need just the glitter."