PURPOSE: To automatically switch the starting method of a program corresponding to the state of the device by selectively performing the execution of the program stored in a program storage means or the reception and execution of a program from a receiving means corresponding to the output of a state detecting means.

CONSTITUTION: When 'communication start' is selected by a start changeover switch 5, in an information processing system 1, information concerning the state of a communication equipment 21 or a communication state such as whether or not communication with a transmission source is enabled is detected, and when the communication start is enabled, communication is started by receiving an operating system(OS) and an application program, and when the communication start is disabled, it is started by reading the OS and application program stored in an external storage device 13. Thus, when utilizing the application program, the starting method of the application program can be automatically set corresponding to the state of communication.