Image: Sarah Tew/CNET
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.
Image: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
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
Image: HP Development Company, L.P.
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.
Image: ALCATEL
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.
Image: Lenovo
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.
SEE: SurfaceBook: Microsoft just made the PC cool again
Bottom line
More about Windows
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.
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?
Source: http://techrepublic.com.feedsportal.com/c/35463/f/670841/s/4dd9a802/sc/15/l/0L0Stechrepublic0N0Carticle0Cthe0Epotential0Eof0Ewindows0E10A0Edevices0Eis0Erevealed0Eat0Emobile0Eworld0Econgress0C0Tftag0FRSS56d97e7/story01.htm