Notebook computer and handheld device display skin

A portable data processing system comprising:

• a first display device for receiving signals for displaying first information;
• a second display device for receiving signals for displaying second information, said second display forming a skin of said data processing device;
• a first graphics engine for receiving data for generating display signals for said first information from a first frame buffer in a graphics memory;
• a second graphics engine for receiving data for generating display signals for said second information from a second frame buffer in said graphics memory;
• and
• driver circuits coupled to said first and second display devices, wherein corresponding ones of said driver circuits are coupled to said first and second displays, a first one of said driver circuits coupled to an output of said first graphics engine and a second one of said driver circuits coupled to an output of said second graphics engine, wherein said first and second display devices having disjoint display areas, and said data for generating display signals received from a central processing unit (CPU) in response to a data processing application.

A method for displaying alternate data on a portable device skin comprising:

• receiving a first user selection identifying a first display data source;
• receiving a second user selection identifying a second display data source, said second user selection associated with a user-specified event;
• and
• switching a display skin from said first display source to said second display source in response to an occurrence of the user-specified event.