Games on the go: Finding the best games for your mobile PC
You just bought a new mobile PC—a notebook, Tablet PC, or ultra-mobile PC (UMPC)—for your family. It came with everything that you and your spouse need to work from home, and everything the children need to do their homework. But life is not all about work. You can also use your mobile PC for fun, such as surfing the Internet, listening to music, and playing games. The variety of available games is practically limitless: classic arcade games, fun and educational games, puzzle games, and many more. But how do you choose the best computer games for your family?
Perhaps you want one game just for the children, another game that everyone can play together, and yet another game that you can play by yourself. Which games are best for each purpose? And will those games work on your mobile PC? This article helps you navigate the computer game world so that you can make sure your family gets games that are age-appropriate, safe, and compatible with your mobile PC.
The Games folder in Windows Vista
If Windows Vista is running on your computer, you already have some fun games that you and your family can enjoy. You'll find these games in the Games folder.
Whenever you install a game, Windows adds a link to it in the Games folder so that you can easily find all of your games in one place. You can open the Games folder from the Start menu.
Take advantage of ratings
To begin figuring out which games are appropriate for your family, check the rating for each game. Most games are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a nonprofit, self-regulatory group that provides accurate and objective information about the content of computer and video games. These ratings, combined with recommendations from friends and family, can help guide your selections.
For younger children, consider educational games that are rated E (Everyone), such as games that are based on children's TV shows. For the whole family, you might choose an adventure role-playing game that's rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older). For yourself, try an action game that's rated M (Mature).
You can see a game's rating by clicking the game in the Games folder.
Select a game in the Games folder to see its rating
For more information, see Game ratings and content descriptors: frequently asked questions.
Make sure the games can run on your mobile PC
Before you buy any games, make sure that your mobile PC can run them. Take a look at each game's hardware and software minimum requirements. Check to see what video card you need, and also how much memory and free hard disk space each game requires.
To confirm that your mobile PC meets the minimum requirements of the games that you've chosen, compare the Windows Experience Index base score for your mobile PC and for the game. The base score measures the ability of a computer's hardware and software configuration, and expresses this measurement as a number. Make sure that the base score for your mobile PC is equal to or greater than the one that's listed for the game. A game's base score is usually included on the packaging. You can also see it in the Games folder by clicking a game. It appears above the game's rating.
Here's how to find your mobile PC's base score:
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Open Performance Information and Tools by clicking the Start button 
, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Performance Information and Tools.
You'll see the Windows Experience Index base score and subscores for your computer. If you have recently upgraded your hardware and want to find out if your score has changed, click Update my score. If you don't see subscores and a base score, click Score this computer.
The Windows Experience Index rates your computer's performance with a base score and with subscores for each hardware component
For more information, see How can I tell if a game will run on this computer?
Make sure you have the accessories you need
Read a game's packaging or online description to see if you'll need any additional hardware to play the game, such as a gamepad, memory cards, or controllers. You can usually pick up the accessories that you need at the same store or website where you buy the game.
Also, when you take your mobile PC on the road, be sure you have an additional power source with you, such as a spare battery or a power cord. Although battery technology for mobile PCs has advanced in recent years, a single battery charge still lasts for a relatively short time, especially when you're playing games. The nature of some games—with their high-quality graphics and continuous play—can drain a battery more quickly than some other mobile PC uses, such as surfing the Internet or playing simple games. For example, you might be able to play Solitaire for few hours on your mobile PC before the battery drains, but only be able to play an adventure game with rich graphics for one or two hours.
How about online games?
Many games include an online component that lets you match wits and skill with people from all over the world. Let's say you and your family are traveling and have taken along your mobile PC. Now you want to fill an evening on the road playing games. To participate with other people online, you need to be connected to the Internet, so look for a hotspot (a public place, such as a coffee shop or hotel, with a wireless network that you can use to connect to the Internet). For more information about connecting to the Internet when you're mobile, see Staying connected while on the go.
Play it safe if you play online
Playing online games can be safe and fun, but you should take a few precautions to help protect your children and your mobile PC.
Help protect your children
You can't always be with your children when they're on the Internet. With Windows Vista, you can use Parental Controls to monitor and manage your children's computer use. It's easy to set up accounts for your children and then configure Parental Controls for each account. You can control what websites your children can access, enforce time limits, and limit which games they can play by setting rules based on rating, content, or title. You can also block specific programs and even get activity reports for each account.
For more information, see Set up Parental Controls
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Help protect your mobile PC
When you play online games, you're connected to the Internet, which means your computer might be vulnerable to hackers and malicious or unwanted software. To help protect your computer, make sure the security essentials (Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, and other security features) in Windows Security Center are turned on or marked OK. Additionally, you should install an antivirus program to help protect your computer from viruses and other malicious software. For more information, see Understanding security and safe computing
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Getting the best computer games for your family takes some research and planning, but the results are well worth it. Now you can all enjoy the fun.
