1. A method for selectively electronically enabling functional capabilities of hardware elements in a data processing system, said method comprising the steps of: providing a data processing system including a plurality of hardware elements, wherein respective ones of said hardware elements include a predetermined set of functional capabilities; storing a multibit alterable code within a nonvolatile storage device within said data processing system, said multibit alterable code corresponding to a subset of said predetermined set of functional capabilities; and enabling said subset of said set of functional capabilities each time power is applied to said data processing system, said step of enabling being in response to a state of said multibit alterable code.