I thought I'd drop a note on data collection. We just acquired two Newton Messagepad 2000s to use as electronic field notebooks this summer. So far so good. The Newton reads even my handwriting and translates into typeface and the ability to draw sketch maps (it'll even straighten out your wiggly lines if you want it to) is great. It does everything my paper notebook did except that it produces legible results! Instead of retyping my fieldnotes at night, I simply plug in the Newton and download it into Word (for Windows or Mac). It also has an Excel compatible spreadsheet and there are database and form-generating programs available as well. Pop in a PC card modem and you can check your email and send faxes from the field with your cellular phone. There is even a company that provides map layers so that when you hook a GPS to it with a serial cable it will show the location on the map (not close enough for piece plotting but great for site survey) It is reasonably sturdy (but don't drop in your float tank Ned!) and there are cases and screen covers that enhance its durability. The new OS finally makes the Newton do what it was originally designed to do and, for me, it's a nice enhancement of the paper field notebook. Charles R. Ewen, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Anthropology East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353