Ed Bott - Windows 10 Support Secrets

93 CHAPTER 7 | Staying productive on mobile devices CHAP T E R 7 Staying productive on mobile devices Modern Windows devices increasingly blur the lines between traditional categories. That’s especially true with the introduction of hybrid designs such as Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Book devices. With a keyboard attached, they act just like laptop PCs. Remove the keyboard and these devices works like a tablet. Even in traditional form factors such as the clamshell-style laptop, Windows 10 offers some interesting improvements over its predecessors, especially when it comes to power management. This chapter covers the best way to introduce some of those new features to people who might be unfamiliar with hardware that falls outside the bounds of a conventional PC. That list of features includes the Windows Ink platform, which is available on pen-equipped devices such as those in the Surface family. Likewise, for anyone who owns a hybrid device, understanding how tablet mode works is an essential survival skill. But we begin on traditional ground, with the eternal quest for longer battery life. Managing power options By definition, mobile devices need to be able to operate untethered from power cords. PC designers have worked diligently in recent years to add intelligence to laptops and tablets so that they can spring into action when you need them and then slide back into power-saving mode when you’re finished.