A cross-section of 361 faculty, graduate and undergraduate students completed a survey that assessed computer availability, experience, attitudes toward computers, and use of computers while engaged in academic writing. Overall, computers served as a tool for all participants, however, undergraduates in the math and computer science areas were more comfortable with computers than others. Experience with computers increased with academic level, suggesting that academics currently use, and have been using, computers throughout their careers. Generally, there were few differences as a function of discipline or gender. Participants indicated different reasons for using computers during the process of writing academic papers relative to written/hard copies. Their responses indicate that these two formats may facilitate the writing process in unique ways. Rather than viewing continued use of hard copy as a transitional period to more extensive computer use, it may be that hard copy offers cognitive supports that may not be available in computer writing software.