Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
WASHINGTON - When I covered my first political convention 20 years ago, I wrote stories on a primitive Radio Shack computer known as the "Trash 80." It weighed less than a pound but transmitted stories so slowly I probably could have dictated them faster.
There were no cell phones or e-mails. If the editors wanted to reach me, they had to leave a message at my hotel.
Today, I am wired - and wireless. The backpack I lug on the campaign trail is stuffed with enough electronics to make a Best Buy salesman smile.
Whether I'm in a hotel room or a campaign bus, I can monitor the daily e-mail debate between the candidates. (That's largely how campaigns are fought these days.) I can take and transmit digital photographs, record speeches and browse the Web.
A peek inside my backpack:
BlackBerry: A wireless e-mail device that's about the size of a deck of a cards. It allows me to send and receive e-mail as if I were sitting at my desk. I use it to read the candidates' press releases, to transmit extra quotes for my stories and to keep in touch with my wife and kids. My constant typing on the tiny gadget prompted another reporter to nickname me "Thumbs."
Olympus Digital Voice Recorder: A wonderful little gadget that records speeches on a computer chip instead of tape. It lets me find important quotes fast. The newer ones allow you to download speeches into your computer.
Toshiba Satellite laptop computer: It's as powerful as my desktop computer and has a wireless card so I can connect to the Internet from any Wi-Fi "hot spot." It transmits stories in seconds. The drawback: It's too big and heavy. On an airplane, the large screen is vulnerable any time the passenger in front reclines.
LG cell phone: Once a luxury, cell phones are now standard equipment on the campaign trail. In a pinch, I can connect it to my laptop to transmit a story to St. Petersburg.
Nikon CoolPix digital camera: I'm not much of a photographer, but I can take a decent snapshot and e-mail it to the editors or upload it through our Web site.
Palm organizer: My Palm address book has 1,991 people listed. I just type "pollster" or "pundit" and I get a list of people to call. I synchronize it with my desktop computer before I go on a trip so I have the most up-to-date numbers.
Apple iPod: My personal music device. Mine has a little transmitter that allows me to play songs over a car radio. I listened to Springsteen on a long, late-night drive in New Hampshire last week.
Battery chargers: The problem with all these gizmos is that each one needs a different charger and the chargers are bulky and heavy. The weight takes a toll on my back. But I'm wired: I can use my laptop to search for chiropractors and then e-mail them for an appointment from my BlackBerry!
AMPAD Reporters Notebook: A cardboard and paper device used for taking notes. Some things never change.