In recent years, smart devices (i.e., tablet terminals and smartphones) as well as desktop type personal computers (PCs) and notebook type PCs have been used as terminals (web clients) that enable users to browse information acquired over the Internet. The smart devices are generally different from the desktop type PCs and the notebook type PCs in screen size and an operating method, and therefore require technologies for displaying optimum screen pictures for individual types of smart devices. As such a technology, for example, a technique termed the Responsive Web Design disclosed at http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/ait/articles/1301/28/news068.html (searched on Mar. 20, 2014) has been developed. The Responsive Web Design changes a picture in terms of displaying layout, image size and character size in accordance with the size of the screen (particularly the horizontal width of the screen).
Meanwhile, there has also been developed a notebook type PC (hereinafter, referred to as “notebook PC”) which causes, when used in an ordinary state of a notebook PC, the functions of a notebook PC to operate and whose liquid crystal screen unit causes, when detached or folded, the functions of a tablet terminal to operate (this type of notebook PC is generally called hybrid notebook PC).
Generally, a user of a hybrid notebook PC uses the user's own fingers as a pointing device when the tablet terminal functions are in operation, and uses a mouse or a trackpad as a pointing device when the notebook PC functions are in operation. Users of tablet terminals often utilize the enlargement and reduction functions (pinch-out and pinch-in functions) performed by using their own fingers or the like, and users of notebook PCs often utilize the scroll function that is carried out by using a mouse or the like to display a desired portion on a screen. In short, the tablet terminal and the notebook PC are different from each other in terms of appropriate operation units. Therefore, in the hybrid notebook PC on which the operation units of both the tablet terminal and the notebook PC are available, it is desirable to provide appropriate operation units according to the state of use of the hybrid notebook PC.
In the meantime, there exist various browser software products that allow the browsing of web sites, including open source software (OSS) applications, products developed by commercial venders, and the like. These software products have individually gained certain amounts of market shares. Therefore, it is now a common practice for administrators and the like that construct web sites to construct a web site so that the web site is usable substantially equally via a plurality of browsers.
Furthermore, it is also a common practice to construct a web site so that not only the pre-determined contents, such as characters, images, moving video pictures, and the like, are displayed, but also the display contents are dynamically altered by using a programming language called JavaScript (registered trademark). JavaScript is executed by a JavaScript engine that is contained in a web browser. In other words, JavaScript is executed in a web browser. Therefore, the operation of JavaScript is restricted to a certain extent by the web browser. In addition, it is generally difficult to obtain information about devices such as a keyboard and a mouse without depending on the browser.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 5107453 discloses an information processing apparatus that is equipped with an input unit and a display unit. This information processing apparatus accomplishes excellent operability by displaying objects so that the objects can be selected and each object can be partially selected.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent No. 5172997 discloses an information processing apparatus that allows a user to cause the apparatus to perform a series of processes, including selection of an object, determination, display of resulting structures (relevant items), selection of a resulting structure, and display of a final resulting structure, by carrying out simple and easy contact actions, a reduced number of actions, and intuitive contact actions.