Windows Mobility Center is a component of
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
, introduced in
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, released five years earlier, which was then the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft W ...
, that centralizes information and settings most relevant to
mobile computing
Mobile computing is human–computer interaction in which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage and allow for transmission of data, which can include voice and video transmissions. Mobile computing involves mobile commun ...
.
History
A mobility center that displayed device settings pertinent to mobile devices was first shown during the
Windows Hardware Engineering Conference
The Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) is a series of technical conferences and workshops, where Microsoft elaborates on its hardware plans for Windows devices.
The WinHEC from 1992 to 2008, which stood for Windows Hardware Engineeri ...
of 2004. It was based on the Activity Center user interface design that originated with Microsoft's abandoned
Windows "Neptune" project, and was slated for inclusion in Windows Vista, then known by its codename ''Longhorn''.
Overview
The Windows Mobility Center
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...
consists of square tiles that each contain information and settings related to a component, such as audio settings,
battery life and power schemes,
display brightness, and
wireless network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes. Wireless networking allows homes, telecommunications networks, and business installations to avoid the costly process of introducing cables int ...
strength and status. The tiles that appear within the interface depend on the hardware of the system and device drivers.
Windows Mobility Center is located in the
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
Control Panel and also be launched by pressing the keys in Windows Vista and 7. By default, WMC is inaccessible on
desktop computer
A desktop computer, often abbreviated as desktop, is a personal computer designed for regular use at a stationary location on or near a desk (as opposed to a portable computer) due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuratio ...
s, but this limitation can be bypassed if one modifies the
Windows Registry
The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the Microsoft Windows operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry. The kernel, device drivers, services, Security Accounts Manager, a ...
.
Windows Mobility Center is extensible;
original equipment manufacturers can customize the interface with additional tiles and company branding.
Though not supported by Microsoft, it is possible for individual developers to create tiles for the interface as well.
See also
*
Features new to Windows Vista
References
{{Windows Components
Mobile computers
Mobility Center
Windows Vista