In the fall of 2000, the University of the Incarnate Word, a small, Catholic, liberal arts university located in San Antonio, Texas became the largest IBM ThinkPad University in the South. At present, 2,000 laptops have been distributed to students and faculty. This paper explains the implementation process and the components that made this a successful program. Commitment from the University's leadership, involved corporate partners, a broad-based planning team, effective communication, faculty training and a supportive infrastructure lead to a positive first year experience for students. The paper discusses problems that were encountered and makes recommendations to institutions that might be considering such an initiative. (Author)