Having a computer is essential in this day and age. They are truly powerful and versatile tools. They can be toys, distractions, workshops, easels, phones, and photo-albums. Nearly anything you wish to do in the mind and literary world can be accomplished with a computer. Having a computer makes writing much simpler for two reasons: 1) it takes the task from having to generate words physically to just having to recognize them. This is huge when it comes to a writing system as complex as Chinese, and it is a big part of my success in the Far East. I am at the point where I won’t tell people I can write in Chinese, but since most communication and all papers are currently digital, there is little need to. Most of the time, you can also look up what you need to write on a computer and then copy anyway. With smart phones, there is almost never a time that you are completely without access to a computer. 2) The ability for computers to quickly check dictionaries makes corrections possible. I complain of this in the context of Latin and auto-correct being overly zealous, but it is a huge source of correctly spelled words that would otherwise pervade the world. Since there is so much you can do on a computer, and they are now small and light. It is almost worth having one with you at all times. Thus, in a spare moment, you can open one up to do some work or reduce some boredom. Many people use them as their sole source of entertainment. I am fortunate enough to have lived through the major computer improvements, so I can appreciate the significant conveniences that the computers have brought to life. Honestly, I do not think I would be as successful as I have been if I did not have and know how to use computers., particularly half-way around the world from my family.