MP3 player/recorder
Instead of scribbling a note about your latest business brainstorm on a napkin, speak your flashes of genius into a pocket MP3 recorder--some of these music devices also double as a voice recorder--then store it digitally. (And when you're finished, of course, your recorder can do double duty as a mobile music machine to get you through the day.) "Dictation devices are good for deductions," explains Denis P. Monaghan, a New York tax preparer. "You can go a step further and add voice recognition software that translates your voice into text on a PC." Office XP has dictation built in, but you can now use more sophisticated voice recognition software, such as IBM ViaVoice, to control your PC.

You'll also need a big memory card to store all of your music and messages. Today's flash cards can hold hours of chat, as well as your favorite bands' entire catalog, making for an audio dream come true.