Several new Windows 10 devices were recently unveiled at Mobile World
Congress 2016 in Barcelona, showing that there's still life for
Microsoft in the mobile marketplace.
Mobile World Congress 2016
took place in Barcelona February 22-25. As it name suggests, the annual
conference is focused on mobility, and it is generally marked with
product announcements from the international telecommunications
industry.
However, this year brought several interesting
announcements from companies introducing mobility products designed
specifically for the Microsoft Windows 10 platform.
MateBook
In
keeping with the international focus of Mobile World Congress, the
first piece of hardware designed to take advantage of Windows 10 is from
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.,
a global communications firm based in Asia. It is the company's first
foray into computer hardware that goes beyond its typical lineup of
mobile smartphones.
The MateBook is a 2-in-1 laptop running Windows 10 on a sixth-generation
Intel Core M processor. The device will be available through Huawei's
traditional mobile phone channels.
HP Elite x3
Upping the ante on the power of a well-designed mobile device is the HP Elite x3,
which was also announced at Mobile World Congress. The device takes
advantage of the Universal Windows Platform to provide a smartphone with
a docking station that transforms it into a personal computer with
peripherals and powering a full display.
The idea of a powerful
computer in the form of a smartphone is certainly appealing to the road
warrior in all of us, but I remain skeptical of the purported power of
the Elite X3 until I can see it crunch numbers on some of my more
formidable personal Excel worksheets
ALCATEL Plus 10
Another Windows 10 mobile device announcement was the ALCATEL Plus 10,
a 10-inch, 2-in-1 device running Windows 10 with 4G/Wi-Fi connectivity
out of the box. The optional 4G LTE keyboard supplies the device with a
double battery that supports up to eight hours of power.
The Plus
10 also supports a docking station that provides the device with
standard USB ports and HDMI connections for full displays. The ALCATEL
Plus 10 is another attempt at creating the perfect mobile computing
device—powerful yet mobile ready.
Lenovo Yoga 710 and 510 PCs
Taking a more conventional approach toward mobile computing is Lenovo, with its new Yoga 710
and 510 personal laptop computers. The Yoga 710 is a convertible laptop
powered by an Intel Core i7 processor. A 14-inch model and an 11-inch
model are available. The Yoga 510 is also powered by an Intel processor
and is available in a 14-inch and an 11-inch model, but the 510 is a
little less powerful than the 710.
Both the 710 and the 510 come in several configurations, allowing
consumers to adjust RAM memory, hard drive storage space, graphics
capabilities, and screen resolutions. The Lenovo Yoga series personal
computers are obviously much more powerful from the computing
perspective than the mobile-inspired alternatives mentioned above.
Bottom line
When Microsoft announced the Surface Book and the Surface Pro
series last year, the speculation was that the devices represented what
was possible in Windows 10-based hardware. The products being announced
at the 2016 Mobile World Congress seem to back up that thinking.
Powerful,
yet still mobile devices running Windows 10 are on the way and some
appear to be very compelling. It will be interesting to see whether any
of these new devices catch the fancy of consumers. With the emphasis on
mobile computing, a Windows 10 device could be in your future. I'd keep
your eyes, and your mind, open to the possibilities.
Your thoughts
The Mobile World Congress is emphasizing mobile computing, but is that
really important in your organization? Are you looking for more
computing power when your travel?
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