Aug. 2--Back-to-school shopping has come a long way since the days when slide rules were a high-tech item.

In case you don't remember them, they were the manually operated predecessor of some of the sophisticated calculators now on the market.

But in this era of the lithium battery, high-tech school tools give life to students as they get through their work as well as enjoy easier moments.

Chris Keilback, of Computer Connections in Greensburg, says a 22-inch liquid crystal diode monitor might be a great purchase.

For about $300, it would provide a large, crisp screen on which computer work could be viewed. But it also can be a screen for movies, streaming video and television connections.

Sure beats the 19-inch, black-and-white TV that once was top-of-the-line luxury.

"The tech thing is out of control," says Butch Abraham, owner of Butch's Sound & Vision in the Natrona Heights area of Harrison.

Computers, naturally, are one of the top items for any student. Matt Craft. a senior computer sales representative at the Best Buy outlet in Ross, says the basic choice comes down to deciding what is more important, "power or mobility."

You can buy a decent computer for as little as $500 or $600, he says, but if power is more necessary, a student might have to go to $1,250 for a hefty desktop model.

Whatever the case, the dorm room probably is going to feature a far different collection of goods than it did in the days when Mark Spitz's Olympics heroics could bring studying to a halt.

In case you don't recall, he won seven gold medals in swimming in the 1972 Olympics.

It all computes

Computers are like the best students in the past -- they excel in many ways.

From downloading audio to producing term papers, laptops or desktops are a key to today's college career.

Jim Babb, spokesman at the Richmond, Va.-headquarters of Circuit City, says they are a near-necessity, too. In a Circuit City survey, 61 percent of students said their schools required a student to have a personal computer.

The direction they go can vary.

"Naturally, students want mobility, so they want a laptop," Best Buy's Craft says. "But if you are into engineering or graphic arts, you need something much bigger, and probably will get it in a desktop."

But it is possible to get a HP Pavilion laptop with 200 gigabytes of hard drive and a 15-inch screen for $599.99. Similarly, a Dell Studio Notebook with 250 gigs of memory is $799,98.

That should get you to mid-terms, at least.

Information in a flash

Making information a movable feast of data now is easier than when swapping notebooks was the rule.

Information, music and even photos can be stored on thumb-sized flash drives and moved from classrooms to dorm rooms or one student to another.

Staples stores, for instance, sell the Omnitech 1GB flash drive for $9.99, while Target has the a Dale-Elec 2GB unit for $19.99.

Sounding off on matters

There was a time when hauling the speakers, amp, albums and, yes, a turntable, up to the dorm room created some of the more crucial trips on moving day.

Now, however, the collection of music is in a palm-sized MP3 player and the speakers are in a book-sized case.

"The convenience factor has really spoiled the modern student," says Circuit City's Babb. "They just don't remember when speakers were the size of concrete blocks."

There are many small speakers out there that can take the files of an MP3 player and turn them into sounds. Among them, Bose makes its SoundDock, which sells for $299 and the SoundDock Portable for $399.

But Logitech provides a good challenge with its Pure-Fi Anywhere speakers that sell for $139.99.

Putting it down on paper

Much of the material in your mind -- or your computer -- eventually needs to make its way to paper.

Printers used to be hefty machines that took up way too much room, but now they are demure members of the computer family that function in many ways.

The HP Photosmart C4480, for instance, prints 30 pages a minute in black and white, 23 in color and also serves as a scanner and photo printer.

It sells at HP dealers for $99.99.

Moving those fat bodies

Hooking all the electronic stuff together can lead to an ugly gathering of what Catherine Gentile calls the "fat plugs."

She is a spokeswoman at the New Jersey headquarters of Bed Bath & Beyond. Electronic gear often has bulky plugs that take up so much space on surge protectors they block use of some plugs.

The chain's five-piece collection of plug extenders provides two 18-inch and three 10-inch cords that move the bulky plugs away from the surge protector, but still allow their use.

It sells for $14.99.

Adding it all up

Most, if not all, of the functions that once were the property of the portable calculator are at home on the computer.

But if you are a desktop person and need a little help with math mania, the Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator from Staples does basic functions, as well as algebra and geometry, for $99.99.

At Target, a Casio model for $7.99 will get you through percentages, square roots and other jobs.

Sounding the alarm

Alarm clocks are not a new necessity, but still are needed.

The iHome IH9 alarm clock allows you to waken to one of the thousands of songs on your iPod -- and, yes, it is built for that device. It has inserts to handle the iPod nano, Classic or iTouch and also includes an AM/FM radio.

It sells for $99.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond or at ihomeaudio.com.

Here's ink in your ears

Using a pen to take notes was always the way to record the fine points at that Post-World War II European politics lecture.

Now you can simply record it with the LiveScribe SmartPen.

It records the lecture and also links that audio to what you write. The words also can be tied to your computer.

The 1-gigabyte pen sells for $149.99 and records 100 hours of sound. The 2-gigabyte version captures 200 hours of sound for $199.99. Both are at Target.

Keeping up the charge

Portable power is a major issue in college life.

That is true to the second degree when a roommate is added. It is vital to keep the cell phone, MP3 player and digital camera all ready to go.

Bed Bath & Beyond offers a charging station that can handle up to four devices while using only one electric outlet.

It sells for $14.99.

A place to make it all work

Don't forget the basics.

Ultimately, a student has to store that gear somewhere and find a good seat to do some work.

The online firm known as CSN Stores is marketing a work center from Techni Mobili which is a multilevel tower to fit any dorm room. It also has a keyboard shelf with a safety stop with room for a mouse and pad. It sells for $119.99 at csnstores.com.

Meanwhile, the Staples Student Task chair comes in pink, blue, black and a floral print, is adjustable, and sits on wheel casters to keep you rolling from one job to another. It is $19.99.

The chain also has its own desk combination for $79.99.

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