Abstract: A communications device provides a user with a sensory cue that informs the user of certain characteristics of a subsequent action that includes data communications. By informing the user of the data communication characteristics before the user initiates the data communication action, the invention appropriately sets user expectations regarding the data communication characteristics. For example, one embodiment of the invention is implemented in a portable communications device with a screen. For subsequent actions that include wireless communications, the portable communications device simultaneously displays a wireless link icon sensory cue next to a user interface graphic element. The user interface element is used to initiate the subsequent action. The user interface element can be an operating system object having an embedded link type icon.

Abstract: A system having a distributed web site is described. The web site is distributed between a client, a server and a web server. The client stores a set of predefined applications that correspond to a part of the web site. The applications are formatted according to a first markup language. From the set of predefined applications, the client can generate queries. The server receives the queries and generates new, related queries. The new queries correspond to a second query protocol. The second query protocol is used by the web server. The web server generates responses to the new queries and sends these responses to the server. The responses are formatted according to a second markup language. These responses correspond to the second portion of the web site. The server then converts the responses into new responses that the client can use.

Abstract: A portable computer system incorporates mechanical buttons that combine the task of powering-up the portable computer system and starting a particular computer application. The same mechanical buttons can be used to navigate the computer application to find the information that is most likely needed by the user. External computers can be coupled to the portable computer system in a manner that allows an external hardware device to initiate specific computer applications that cooperate with the external hardware device. Some embodiments of the portable computer system comprise an antenna for wireless communications with a base station. Wireless computer applications available in the portable computer system are activated by moving the antenna from a first position to a second position. Some embodiments of the invention provide a communication system comprising a portable computer system having such wireless application activation, and a base station.