Using the Windows 8 Mobility Center

Synopsis: Windows Mobility Center is a tool that only works on certain mobile devices, such as laptops and netbooks. It makes it easier for users to connect to external devices and multiple displays.

Windows Mobility Center is a tool for mobile users, and is particularly targeted at those who deliver presentations.

Windows Mobility Center can be accessed from the Control Panel. From the Windows 8 Start Screen start to type the word “control” and when you see “Control Panel” in the list of apps, click or tap it and the Control Panel will open. Select the “Hardware and Sound” category and you should see a list of categories like this, with “Windows Mobility Center” roughly in the middle.

Click or tap the option “Adjust commonly used mobility settings” and you will see a window similar to this.

In each of the six sections of this window there is an icon in the top left hand corner. Click or tap on the icon and you will be able to change the relevant settings. For example, if you click or tap the icon to the left of the word “Mute” in the “Volume” section a “Sound” dialog opens and you will be able to adjust the sound settings.

Each of the sections also has an additional control. For example, the “Volume” section has a slider control that can be used to adjust the volume. Just click and drag or tap, hold and drag.

One particularly important setting is “External Display”. If you have an external display connected click or tap the icon next to “Display connected” and you will see this “Screen Resolution” dialog.

Here you can choose settings for both displays.

To identify which display is which click or tap the “Identify” button. A large “1” will be displayed on one display and a large “2” on the other.

Click or tap on one of the display images in the dialog to select the one whose settings you want to work on. For each you can set the resolution and orientation. In the drop down list of options for “Multiple displays” choose one of the following:

• “Duplicate these displays” which causes both displays to show the same content
• “Extend these displays” which causes the two displays to show different content, the second display being usable as an additional Windows 8 desktop
• One of the other two options to cause one display to show the desktop and the other to be blank.

Another very important setting in Windows Mobility Center is in the “Presentation Settings” section. Click on the icon to the left of “Not presenting” and you will see the “Presentation Settings” dialog.

This dialog can also be accessed directly by selecting “Adjust settings before giving a presentation” from the “Windows Mobility Center” category of “Hardware and Sound” within the Control Panel.

Here you can select the options you need while you’re giving your presentation. You can specify whether you screen saver should be turned off and you can select a volume for the audio. You can also choose a background style.

When you have made your selections click or tap OK and they will be saved.

Now, when you’re ready to give your presentation, you can click the “Turn on” button in the “Presentation settings” section of the main Windows Mobility Center windows and your presentation can begin.

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Simon Calder

Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA.He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!