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When I compose a poem or even a short story, the weapon of choice is usually: pen or pencil and paper.

There are other times which prompt me to compose at my computer.

I'm curious about which weapons help me best in producing a work and also which weapons help me produce the best works.

I wonder if certain subjects of my writing are best produced via pen or pencil and paper or via computer.

Questions, comments, observations, suggestions... criticisms???

I think this truly is personal preference.  I know authors who prefer writing over composing on a computer and I know authors who prefer composing on a computer over writing.  Both work depending on what YOU prefer, in my opinion. Which method you use would depend on what you feel most comfortable and perhaps most productive using.  When I write poetry, I prefer to write it instead of composing on a computer.  The computer feels sterile and less personal when I am trying to compose a poem.  Writing it is more personal for me.

In reply to #2: I realize it is a personal preference. I am just curious what people prefer and why. I wonder if they notice anything different when they go about their writing a certain way, be it pen and ink or our new friend the computer...

Pen and paper are my starting points, but then I transfer my drafts to computer, particularly if it is poetry. When using a computer to generate a first draft, the mind, I have found, is more tempted to self-edit and withhold the raw emotions of a rough draft.

The personal act of setting pen to paper forms a type of intimacy with the mind. Computers reek of business and efficiency, while pen and paper give you the creative space to "breathe," so to speak. But that's just one guy's opinion. Kwoo1213 is correct in asserting that each writer has his or her own way of doing things; do what works for you.