Abstract: A pen-based computer including a housing and a flat display integral therewith. The flat display can display an image corresponding to text, data and graphic information in several orientations. A plurality of switches enables the user to select an orientation for the image relative to the orientation of the flat display. In one embodiment the switches are mercury switches positioned to automatically align the orientation of the image relative to motion of the flat panel display relative to the force of gravity. An optional additional switch resets the orientation of the image to a predetermined orientation or prevents the reorientation of the image responsive to the mercury switches.

Abstract: A pen-based computer includes a housing and a flat panel display integral therewith. The computer housing has a slanted parallelpiped configuration with polyhedron-shaped top and bottom surfaces and parallelogram-shaped side and end surfaces interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces. The side and end surfaces of the housing include one adjacent side and end surface having an upward exposure, and another adjacent side and end surface having a downward exposure, with each of the side and end surfaces extending at an angle of between about 10 and 45 degrees from the top surface to the bottom surface. The flat panel display for the computer is mounted proximate to the top surface of the housing proximate one corner, and the bottom surface of the housing is designed to be supported on a horizontal support surface.

Abstract: A keyboard storage and retrieval system for a computer is provided, the system comprising a flat panel display, an enclosure, a removable keyboard slidably attached to the enclosure, and a latching system for lockingly securing the removable keyboard to the enclosure. The latching system includes a manually operated damping device for ejecting the removable keyboard from the enclosure and a manually operated mechanical latching device for securing the removable keyboard to the enclosure. The flat panel display is movable to a closed position on the enclosure to actuate the latching device to prevent the damping device from ejecting the removable keyboard from the enclosure.