A hand-held remote computer input peripheral for communicating with a host computer having a display screen. An operator holds the input peripheral in space with a first hand. The input peripheral includes activation mode buttons each corresponding to a respective activation mode of the touch pad for controlling the display screen. The activation modes include a text entry mode for entering text on the display screen and a cursor control mode for controlling a cursor on the display screen. The input peripheral further includes a touch pad. The operator manipulates the touch pad using a second hand while holding the input peripheral with the first hand to perform functions associated with the activation modes for controlling the display screen. The text entry mode includes an annotation mode for enabling the operator to draw on to the display screen and a type mode for enabling the operator to print text on to the display screen. The operator draws on to the display screen in the annotation mode by moving a finger of the second hand across the touch pad. The operator prints text on to the display screen in the type mode by moving a finger of the second hand across the touch pad to handwrite the text and conversion software converts the handwritten text to printed text. The operator prints text on to the display screen in the type mode by moving a finger of the second hand across the touch pad to select letters of an on-screen keyboard displayed on the display screen.