I know some of you have brought up how to type Pinyin with tones. There is a great online tool if you follow this link: http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/Itool/type_pinyin_with_tones.htm.
Once you click the link called "Click here to begin," a basic web application will open and allow you to first type the spelling of the word, then type a number to automatically add the corresponding tonal mark. I still recommend writing out your homework by hand, since this is how you'll be taking tests throughout your language learning process, but this app is here if you feel you want to use it.
