{side note for search engine visitors: If you're here looking for info on getting DUN working on the Q, head over to qusers.com}

For the most part, I'm very happy with my new phone.  It's nice to have my calendar, to-do lists, and all the PDA'ish information available when I'm running around, and I'm starting to get in the habit of actually typing stuff in when I remember it.  I'm not nearly into the GTD zen mode yet, but I'm taking baby steps.

My first major gripe with the phone is that Verizon has once again crippled some of the most awesome capabilities that this phone could have had.  The Motorola Q Website clearly indicates that the phone supports the following Bluetooth Profiles: SPP, FTP, OPP, DUN, GOEP, HSP, HFP, BPP, A2DP, AVRCP, GAVDP, HID, and BIP.  I have no clue what half of those are (you can look them up here), but the one I really want to work is SPP.  I have a Pharos GPS unit with the iGPS-BT dock, and it works over SPP.  If SPP would work, then I could use Virtual Earth Mobile, or Pocket Streets and Trips, and actually have a constantly updating moving map. 

I spent a half-hour on the phone with Motorola tonight, and the tech basically said that Verizon has disabled the SPP profile so that they can sell services that serve the same purpose using the built-in GPS (or aGPS?) capabilities.  This drives me mad.  The device is capable, the OS is capable, the software is there, but Verizon is making business decisions that cripple some awesome uses of the Q.

Motorola & Microsoft need to wake up and start leaning on Verizon to stop this nonsense.  I understand that Verizon is just trying to make a buck for their shareholders, but they're doing so at the expense of the brand images of the Motorola Q, and the Windows Mobile platform. Motorola has had the public's perceptions of several of their phones (V710, E815) dragged through the mud by this Bluetooth crippling nonsense.  One of the key benefits of the Windows Mobile brand is that people assume that they will get a similar experience across devices.  My Axim X50v knew how to pair up with a SPP device under both WM 2003 SE and with WM 5.0.  I know that the code is in WM 5.0 for Smartphones in order to do the same thing.  Bill Gates always talks about the power of the platform, and in this case, Verizon is sawing one of the legs off the Windows Mobile platform.

I guess that's the end of my rant.  Really, I'm still quite happy with the phone.  Just wishing it could live up to it's potential.

Updated Info Here

Updated Info: HOW-TO: Use a Bluetooth GPS with the Motorola Q

Tuesday, June 06, 2006 8:11:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)      Comments [2]  MobilesTracked by:
"Motorola Q - Verizon Confirms Crippled Bluetooth" (One Man Shouting) [Trackback]
"Motorola Q - Crippled Bluetooth, The never ending saga..." (One Man Shouting) [Trackback]
"HOW-TO: Use a Bluetooth GPS with the Motorola Q" (One Man Shouting) [Trackback]