August 30th, 2006
Motorola gives a "Push" to the Q
I had quite a bit of time to spend with the Motorola Q a few months ago and one concern I and others had about the release of the device was the lack of direct push email support. The Q was released when other devices were rolling out with the update, but it takes quite some time to work through carriers and large companies to get these updates to end users. I am happy to report that Motorola Q owners can now visit the Motorola software update site and download the latest update for free. This update now brings the Q to a more level playing field to compete with the RIM BlackBerry with the Windows Mobile Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) that includes Direct Push technology.
The software update also adds dial-up networking (DUN) capability via USB or Bluetooth. DUN will allow you to use your Q as a modem for your laptop at an additional cost of US$15 per month from Verizon Wireless. Adding this functionality extends wireless broadband speeds to your PC for much less than buying a seperate PCMCIA card and paying for another line of data service.
The software update also enables improved browser navigation and other improvements throughout the device. Be aware when you perform these updates that you usually lose all the data on the device so make sure to backup your data before installing the update. If Verizon’s data plans weren’t so expensive I would probably be jumping all over the Q now that it has push email support and am still waiting to hear about a GSM version.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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