TRANSFORMER REMOTE CONTROL

A remote control includes a touch pad operable in two or more touch pad modes and a switching mechanism for controlling devices having display screens such as home entertainment (HE) devices, slide projectors, and computers. The switching mechanism is operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the touch pad modes. The touch pad modes include an absolute touch pad mode, a relative touch pad mode, and an annotate touch pad mode. The remote control includes a control button operable in two or more control button modes. Each of the control button modes corresponds to a respective touch pad mode. The switching mechanism is operable with the control button for switching the control button to the control button mode corresponding to the respective touch pad mode. The remote control also includes an indicator operable for displaying control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode. The switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the control button mode. The touch pad may include two control icons representative of remote control commands. The control icons are enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode.