But the question is how do you know that you've got the right tool. That's what makes open tools best, but let's leave well enough alone and not make a circular link here.
I know that I write differently with a pencil in my hand than I do in front of a word processor. Being addicted to bits I prefer to have everything digitized and available to me right from the start, but sometimes I have to sit down with paper and pencil to sketch out what it is that I'm trying to say. My scribbles with pencil on paper have acquired their own style over the years, and I tend to think that the timeout they give me from writing helps me to organize my thoughts. I'm not sure that there's a parallel metaphor for scribbling on the computer. Timeouts are usually taken with the aid of computer games, and they're not particularly helpful in organizing thoughts. Actually, when I think I know what it is that I want to write but am having a hard time getting it out of my head and onto a tangible medium, I prefer a pencil to the word processor because it allows many fewer distractions.
In the case in question, however, the desirability of the pencil is much easier to explain. It doesn't require electricity, and if it breaks, instead of having to bring it to repair, all you have to do is sharpen it.
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