Abstract: In a computer system using either a memory card or a hard-disk drive (HDD) as an external storage device, a slot formed in a computer body for insertion of the external storage device is used commonly for the memory card and HDD. The HDD has an attachment guide member such that the HDD can be detachably mounted in the computer body through the slot. The HDD has a connector having the same specification standard as an interface connector of a memory card. The HDD is connected to the computer body via the connector for transmission of interface signals.

Abstract: A display/input device is constituted by superposing a display device and a transparent tablet on each other. An operator points an icon included in an image displayed on a screen of the display device by means of a stylus pen, thereby inputting data. A central part of a coordinate detection area of the tablet overlaps the screen of the display device, and a peripheral part of the coordinate detection area is situated outside the screen. When the stylus pen points a predetermined region within the peripheral part of the coordinate detection area, predetermined processing ("cancel", "previous page", "next page") corresponding to a command allocated to the pointed predetermined region is carried out.

Abstract: When a variable length code requires two cycles in decoding, portions of code bit strings serving as objects to be decoded in first and second cycles of the variable length code are caused to overlap each other. In the first cycle, a non-overlapping portion is determined as a decoded portion. A length of a code bit string actually decoded in the first cycle is determined as a length of the code bit string serving as the object to be decoded in the first cycle excluding the length of the overlapping portion so as to determine a start position of the code bit string serving as the object to be decoded in the second cycle.