Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Janet L Sailor

Ruth Ann Lim

Geoffrey Martin

Anthony Reyes

Frank E La Fetra, Jr

A graphical user interface for accessing, managing, organizing and using local and online content from a personal computer. The graphical user interface is divided into several modules, displayed on the display screen of the computer. Some of these modules are categories, which contain links to content online and on the hard drive of the computer. The user can customize these categories and the links within them to suit his or her personal needs, interests, and tastes. One or more of the modules within the GUI are media players. The user can select content by dragging and dropping a link from the desktop, another application, or a category within the GUI onto the media player. Applications required to access content referred to by links within the categories of the graphical user interface are launched at the time that the GUI is launched.

Customizable, categorically organized graphical user interface for utilizing online and local content

Methods and systems for a moveable search engine interface that remains visible on the desktop are provided. In one embodiment, a search engine interface is created by displaying a graphical image of a window on a screen of the computer. The window may receive search terms for searching information available to a search engine. The search engine interface is also created by associating a two dimensional graphical image that has a specified shape and color with the window. The search engine interface is designed to remain available on the screen of the computer regardless of whether a browser associated with the computer is open or closed. Further the search engine interface is designed to be moved anywhere on the screen.

Moveable interface to a search engine that remains visible on the desktop

A method for selecting skinnable interfaces and a system for implementing the same. The method discloses accessing user specific information upon installation of an application on a computing resource. The computing resource is associated with a user that is associated with the user specific information. The method continues by associating the user with a selected selected skin from a plurality of user interface (UI) skins. The association between the user and the selected UI skin is based on the user specific information. Thereafter, the method continues by configuring the application to display the selected UI skin as a default UI skin for the application.

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San Leandro, CA, United States of America

Janet L Sailor