Abstract: A power management system for computers compresses contents of system RAM and stores the contents on a non-volatile storage device before power is suspended to a motherboard, which removes power also from RAM. By compression, the capacity required of the non-volatile storage device is minimized. In a variation, zeros are stored in all RAM area used by memory management software before compression and storage on the non-volatile device. In another variation, areas of RAM used by memory management software are identified, and only those areas not used by memory management software are stored on the non-volatile device. The capability is provided in several ways in different embodiments.

Abstract: A general-purpose computer has a compartment for storing a pointer device, such as a mouse or a trackball, such that the pointer may be removed from the compartment and deployed for use. The pointer may be a mouse, a trackball, or other type, and may communicate with the host computer by a cable, an infra-red system, ar by an inductively coupled system. In one embodiment the pointer is a trackball device, in another a mouse device, and in another a combination device that may be used as either a mouse or a trackball. Other embodiments provide a polar input pointer device and a broadcast pointer device.