When I think of Motorola software I think of the IPTV set-top software deployed mainly outside the US, and I know I’m probably one of a very few number of Americans who make that mental connection. However, software itself shouldn’t be a stretch of the brain for most people who think about Motorola. Go beyond the sleek, shiny RAZR handsets and you find what can often make or break those mobile devices: the software operating on them.
I was reminded of how important software is to Motorola’s business when I traveled up to NYC last week for a press event. Put on by the mobile devices group, the event naturally had quite a number of Q9s, RAZR2s and RISR Z8s on display. The Q9 uses Windows Mobile 6 (with Motorola’s Good Mobile Messaging Technology). The RAZR2 and the Z8, however, operates on Motorola-built software. The RAZR2 uses a Linux/Java OS (or will at least in some versions), and the Z8 uses a Symbian OS. I’m unlikely to get my hands on a working Z8 any time soon, as they’re only available outside the US, but there’s a good chance I’ll be able to play around with it a bit more in the near future. From what I’ve seen of so far, the software may be its biggest selling point. Which wasn’t the case with the original RAZR.
Filed under: Mobile device
[...] made some irritating errors in writing about Motorola mobile software last week, so it’s clear that by trying to post again on the subject I’m just making myself a glutton for [...]
[...] As I’ve said before, I’m all for sleek design, but it’s the software that I like most on this phone. [...]
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