Computing apparatus having multiple pointing devices

A computing apparatus, comprising:

• processor logic;
• a display signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic;
• a data input signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data;
• logic within said processing logic that detects a pointing device coupled to said computing apparatus;
• GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) that permits user selection of a specific function to be assigned to each of two or more detected pointing devices;
• assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a selected function to a detected pointing device;
• and
• conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to assign the same function to two different pointing devices.

A computing apparatus, comprising:

• processor logic;
• a display mechanism coupled to said processor logic that displays a signal output from said processor logic;
• a data input mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data;
• a first pointing device coupled to said processor logic;
• a second pointing device coupled to said processor logic;
• GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) via said display mechanism and that permits user selection of two different functions to be assigned contemporaneously to said first and said second pointing devices, said GUI logic permitting user selection of a function from the group of functions including:
• primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, pull down menu control, pop up menu control and disabled state;
• assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a first selected function to said first pointing device and a second selected function to said second pointing device;
• and
• conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to contemporaneously assign the same function from said group of functions to said first pointing device and said second pointing device.

A method of configuring a computing apparatus, comprising:

• providing a computing apparatus having processor logic, a display signal propagating mechanism and a data input signal propagating mechanism;
• detecting at least a first pointing device and a second pointing device coupled to said computing apparatus;
• generating a graphics user interface (GUI) that permits user selection of one of a plurality of different functions to be assigned to each of the detected first and second pointing devices, said plurality of different functions including at least two functions from the group of functions including:
• primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, menu control and disabled state;
• assigning different selected function to each of the detected first and second pointing devices;
• and
• assessing whether an attempt has been made to assign the same function to both the first and second detected pointing devices.