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CHAPTER 14<br />
Windows <strong>10</strong> on phones<br />
and small tablets<br />
As an IT pro, your first concern is probably about supporting Microsoft Windows <strong>10</strong> on desktop<br />
PCs and laptops. But the unification of the Windows <strong>10</strong> platform means that the operating system<br />
and the new universal Windows apps are designed to run on more than just PCs. For phones and small<br />
tablets, that means Windows <strong>10</strong> Mobile.<br />
The version of Windows <strong>10</strong> that runs on mobile devices is built on the same core code as Windows<br />
<strong>10</strong> for traditional desktop and laptop PCs, and it runs the same universal apps, delivered through the<br />
same Windows Store, as its desktop counterpart.<br />
Although the roadmap for this version of Windows <strong>10</strong> includes small tablets, that category exists<br />
only in theory today. You can install the Windows <strong>10</strong> Insider Preview for phones on devices like the<br />
Lumia 1520, which has a 6-inch screen and can easily act like a tablet. (In fact, phones with extra-large<br />
screens are sometimes referred to as “phablets” because of their ability to shift roles between phone<br />
and tablet.)<br />
The signature feature of Windows <strong>10</strong> Mobile, called Continuum, allows you to connect a mobile<br />
device to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard to create an experience that is much like<br />
Windows <strong>10</strong> on a PC. Continuum leverages the Universal Windows Platform: Built-in apps such<br />
as Mail, as well as the Office Mobile apps, work exactly as they do on a Windows <strong>10</strong> PC.<br />
This chapter provides a brief overview of what to expect from Windows <strong>10</strong> Mobile, beginning with a<br />
quick history lesson.<br />
The evolution of Windows on mobile devices<br />
In its roughly six years of existence, the Windows Phone platform has undergone several major shifts,<br />
with each such change bringing the mobile and desktop operating systems closer together. Windows<br />
Phone 8, for example, was the first version to be based on the Windows NT kernel used in the desktop<br />
operating system; it was released in October 2012, the same time as Windows 8 for desktop PCs.<br />
Windows Phone 8.1, released in mid-2014, introduced Cortana, the personal digital assistant, as<br />
well as the first wave of apps capable of sharing data and licensing between desktop and mobile<br />
platforms.<br />
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