10 tips for laptop literacy.

• Author: Dell, David J.
• Position: The CFO's Guide to Information Management: Portable Computers

Wondering how to pick the best portable computer and the best way to use it? These guidelines will help you get down to business with your laptop.

Recently, I conducted a data base search on the boom in the number of executives using notebook computers. Out of more than 400 articles, I found only four that even mentioned the word CFO, and two of those references merely cited the CFOs of computer manufacturers. Apparently, the computer press thinks financial executives aren't especially relevant to this technology wave. But whether you already have a portable or are thinking about getting one, or you want to know how your company can buy and use them effectively, you probably could use some help in choosing among the hundreds of products available.

Nearly a quarter of all personal computers that will be sold this year are likely to be laptops or notebooks. Handheld models are selling even faster -- soon they may be cheaper than multifunction calculators. The selection is staggering. Not since the first big wave of personal computers hit the market have we had so many choices. The noise is amplified by all the vendors trying to stand out in a new multibillion-dollar market.

Voice input? No problem! Want one that reads your handwriting -- you've got it! All the models are much faster and have more memory than some of the mini-computers we bought as recently as five years ago. This is personal computing with a capital "P." The portable computer is fast becoming a symbol of executive status, somewhere in between an expensive pen and a company car.

CORPORATE CULTURE SHOCK

That's because executives are responding to an enormous and almost invisible shift in corporate culture. Reengineering is driving us all to rethink our roles. Survivors in downsized organizations need faster responses and more control with fewer helpers. This means more computers for all of us. Laptops symbolize a changing business reality in which computers can become indispensable work aids.

As a financial executive, you deserve any technology that makes you more productive, even though you're not getting paid to pound a keyboard. However, while notebooks individually may be a bargain, they do add up to a serious investment in the aggregate. In fact, we're looking at real costs of $5,000 to $10,000 for each executive. Spending that much is worth some thought, so here are some guidelines to purchasing and managing portables.

1 Don't start from scratch. Check corporate policies...