Patent ID: 7007117

Claim:
In a portable computer system, a method for selecting an application form according to a type of communication interface, said method comprising: a) entering a mode for executing an application; b) reading a resistance value of a single pin on a cradle element that receives said portable computer system and that couples said portable computer system to a second computer system, wherein a unique resistance value is associated with each type of communication interface that can be used with said cradle element; c) identifying a type of communication interface used with said cradle element according to said resistance value read from said single pin; d) selecting a form of said application used with said type of communication interface identified in said step c); and e) actuating said application in response to a first character entered in a first region of a handwriting recognition pad of said portable computer system and a second character entered into a second region of said handwriting recognition pad, said first region for alphabetic characters and said second region for numeric characters.