I always have a wire-bound A4 squared-paper notebook lying next to my keyboard. At work it gets used for notes on what I'm doing, have to do, notes in meetings etc. At home it is usually lying under a pile of other junk, but gets used every now and then to write down programming ideas, algorithms, phone numbers and whatever else needs noting in the spur of the moment.

Most of this gets written into a generic ~/stuff file on my computer though, chronologically sorted and never deleted. (Currently 56k and first entry from around 5 years ago, it looks like ,)

Since work only provides biros, I habitually carry a pen in my back pocket, which gets replaced when I lose it, which is more often than it actually running out. Currently its a Mitsubushi Uni-Ball fine, which is a new brand for me, I carried some other uni-ball for years (but no idea which) - which the place where I bought them doesn't stock any more (I hate it when that happens!)

I bought a Psion way back and used it for note-taking etc. at work for ages, then I got a Psion 5mxPro, which eats batteries compared to the old one, and doesn't get carried around as much consequently (not recently anyway.. maybe again when I can afford its hunger ,). Still they usefully replaced my address book+calender :)

C.