A system selects an application program for download. The system includes a host system, such as a personal computer, having a disk sub-system storing a plurality of application programs. The disk sub-system includes a file storing a plurality of identifiers, with each of at least some of the identifiers being associated with one or more of the application programs. A target system, such as a wireless handheld electronic device, includes a hardware identifier and a vendor identifier. A communications channel connects the host system and the target system. An application loader routine executes at the host system, communicates with the target system through the communications channel, requests the hardware and vendor identifiers as a received identifier from the target system over the communication channel, and employs the identifiers and the received identifier to select one of the application programs for download from the host system to the target system.