Windows on the move – it’s even for gamers!

I was on a crowded train just the other day and the person sitting next to me pulled out a gaming device – I think it was a Steam Deck – and began to play. It’s impressive to see the power of these handheld gaming devices. They bring the desktop gaming experience to someone on the move. But after a few minutes, there was something even more impressive. After receiving a text, they paused their game and then switched the device from the game to the Windows operating system to do a quick work task. With some technological wizardry, this person had seamlessly configured a Linux device to run Windows, which made the surprise all the greater.

The train was busy, and I’m not a snoop, so I didn’t take a closer look at exactly what they were doing but it got me thinking. It’s still only recent history that you had to be sitting at a desk at home in front of your PC and a monitor to get the full gaming experience but that has changed in such a short time…and now it’s also the case with work. Not too long ago, Windows was for the desktop environment but today even tablets and new handheld models are more than capable of delivering the full Windows experience while on the move.

The old worries I hear from customers that Windows devices are too complex for handheld devices or not secure enough for users on the move are just not true. I have witnessed utility workers, up to their waist in mud and water as they fix a leaking pipe, using their rugged TOUGHBOOK G2 tablet to access plans and GPS locations as they try to solve the problem.

I have also seen police officers access vital information on central databases and fill out and file crime scene reports on their devices from their cars. It’s helping to keep them out on the streets in their communities – rather than stuck in the office completing paperwork. And with the TOUGHBOOK G2, 55 and 40 models all now being Microsoft Secured-Core PC’s, they are using some of the most secure mobile devices on the market.

Combining the great Microsoft support for the Windows OS with the flexible and configurable TOUGHBOOK rugged devices means mobile workers have a device that is easy to use and manage, as well as secure and long-lasting – as TOUGHBOOK devices can be easily reconfigured for different tasks in the field. Need to upgrade your graphics card, no problem; want to add a longer-life battery, smartcard or barcode reader – it’s a breeze. Just click and switch.

Going mobile no longer means limiting yourself. If avid gamers are even starting to use Windows applications on their hardcore Linux gaming device – maybe every business should be rethinking just what Windows can do for its mobile workforce?