Embodiments of a method and apparatus are described for operating a mobile computing device in different modes using different operating systems. An apparatus may comprise, for example, a memory operative to store multiple operating systems, a processor operative to execute the multiple operating systems, an operating system management module operative to select a first operating system when the mobile computing device is in a first mode or a second operating system when the mobile computing device is in a second mode and the mobile computing device is coupled to one or more external devices. Other embodiments are described and claimed.