Hand held computer with dual display screen orientation capability controlled by toggle switches having first and second non-momentary positions

A method of using a handheld computer having a housing with a front side on which a display screen is operatively disposed, circuit means operable to create an image on the display screen, and control means externally disposed on said housing, said control means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said control means operatively linked to said circuit means, and manually operable to selectively vary the image, said method comprising the steps of:

• manually grasping said housing in a first use orientation thereof and manually operating said control means to create an image on the display screen;
• manually operating said control means to rotate the image, about an axis perpendicular to the display screen, through a predetermined angle relative to said housing;
• and
• manually grasping said housing in a second use orientation thereof in which, relative to said first use orientation, said housing is rotated about said axis through said predetermined angle, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve a selectively variable one of said first and second data orientations while said handheld computer is turned off.

A handheld computer comprising:

• a housing having a side wall and being selectively graspable by a user in a first use orientation in which said side wall faces the user, and a second use orientation in which said side wall faces the user and said housing is rotated through a predetermined angle relative to its first use orientation;
• a display screen operatively mounted on said side wall of said housing;
• first means for generating a selectively variable image on said display screen;
• and
• second means including a plurality of manually depressible switch members carried on said side wall of said housing and having first and second non-momentary positions, said second means for selectively rotating the generated image on said display screen through said predetermined angle relative to said housing between first and second viewing orientations to visually accommodate the rotation of said housing between said first and second use orientations, said manually depressible switch members being non-momentary to preserve a selected one of said first and second non-momentary positions while said handheld computer is turned off.