Modem and communications control selection

A portable user apparatus for use with a plurality of communication devices, comprising:

• a circuit that detects a transition in a physical connection between one of the plurality of communication devices and the apparatus, the circuit generating, in response to the transition, a signal identifying the communication device and whether the transition connected or disconnected the identified device and the apparatus;
• and
• a processor that executes an application program under the control of an operating system;
• wherein the operating system provides to the application program an interface for accessing a communication network via a communication device selected by a user from the plurality of communication devices, the operating system in response to the connect signal selecting the identified device and deselecting any previously selected device, and the operating system in response to the disconnect signal deselecting the identified device, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting essentially of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular telephone connection, a private telephone network, an integrated systems digital network (ISDN), an adaptive differential subscriber line (ADSL), a frame relay network, an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, a personal communications services (PCS) network, an IRIDIUM network and a TELEDESIC network.

A method of setting up a communication device for use with a apparatus, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• displaying to a user of the apparatus a menu that includes a location parameter whose value is selected from a plurality of locations, each location corresponding to an area within which the apparatus may be coupled to a communication network;
• accepting from the user a confirmation of the current location value;
• and
• selecting, based on location value, a communication initialization command that controls communication over the network, wherein the communication network is selected from the group consisting of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular telephone connection, a private telephone network, an integrated systems digital network (ISDN), an adaptive differential subscriber line (ADSL), a frame relay network, an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, a personal communications services (PCS) network, an IRIDIUM network and a TELEDESIC network.