Comments on: The failure of Motorola http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/ Mon, 12 May 2008 15:05:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Miro Hero http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6574 Miro Hero Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:07:47 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6574 Motorola did the same as many others American companies did - they cut their personnel to the extend that only minimum product support left. Like CircuitCity when laid off all salesperson, so they can increase profit margins :). Silly, of course the business will go to non-existance sooner after that, but meanwhile the top management made huge bonuses /which are effectively pegged to the profit margins/. So the management is not stupid, they just don't care if that company would exist after the accounting year-end closing. Sorry, but this is the present business reality. Motorola did the same as many others American companies did - they cut their personnel to the extend that only minimum product support left. Like CircuitCity when laid off all salesperson, so they can increase profit margins :). Silly, of course the business will go to non-existance sooner after that, but meanwhile the top management made huge bonuses /which are effectively pegged to the profit margins/. So the management is not stupid, they just don’t care if that company would exist after the accounting year-end closing. Sorry, but this is the present business reality.

]]> By: Eugenia http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6558 Eugenia Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:28:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6558 >as the sour regret of a Linux zealot Hahaha... I suggest you read more about myself and Linux before you say this. I am sure there will be a lot of readers here who would call me a "Linux hater" instead. >But it’s ludicrous for you to pinpoint the sole source of their failures on a single mobile phone line. The point of my blog post was about Motorola not realizing where the market was going: high end software, SDKs, smartphones. EzX might not have been the best platform in the world, but it was something, at a time where no one else had anything like that. >as the sour regret of a Linux zealot

Hahaha… I suggest you read more about myself and Linux before you say this. I am sure there will be a lot of readers here who would call me a “Linux hater” instead.

>But it’s ludicrous for you to pinpoint the sole source of their failures on a single mobile phone line.

The point of my blog post was about Motorola not realizing where the market was going: high end software, SDKs, smartphones. EzX might not have been the best platform in the world, but it was something, at a time where no one else had anything like that.

]]> By: Jason http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6557 Jason Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:03:36 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6557 You're pining for a successful software platform that never was. You saw potential in an otherwise terribly poor interface. But the same could be said for *any* phone platform that has ever existed. Your post comes across as the sour regret of a Linux zealot, not of a fan of Motorola engineering. Sure, Motorola leadership missed the boat... on being successful. Certainly they've missed opportunity after opportunity over the last couple decades to become a segment leader in personal technology. But it's ludicrous for you to pinpoint the sole source of their failures on a single mobile phone line. You’re pining for a successful software platform that never was. You saw potential in an otherwise terribly poor interface. But the same could be said for *any* phone platform that has ever existed. Your post comes across as the sour regret of a Linux zealot, not of a fan of Motorola engineering.

Sure, Motorola leadership missed the boat… on being successful. Certainly they’ve missed opportunity after opportunity over the last couple decades to become a segment leader in personal technology. But it’s ludicrous for you to pinpoint the sole source of their failures on a single mobile phone line.

]]> By: NotTelling http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6551 NotTelling Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:24:13 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6551 I've got the e680i. It's not really that great although it sort of works and better than the existing Motorola UI. Moto did take EZX seriously. Most major development effort have been poured to shape EZX into the new MOTOMAGX. EZX was not built to be maintained, while keeping the old OS running was getting more and more difficult (the new 500 MHz chip helped a lot :)). The new E8 interface is really slick and more polished than the e680i. However, the new platform is an engineering disaster (I'm sure there will be lots of stories coming out later). Moto is not lacking talented and passionate people. They just suck at understanding what's needed to make and maintain good software. I’ve got the e680i. It’s not really that great although it sort of works and better than the existing Motorola UI. Moto did take EZX seriously. Most major development effort have been poured to shape EZX into the new MOTOMAGX. EZX was not built to be maintained, while keeping the old OS running was getting more and more difficult (the new 500 MHz chip helped a lot :)).

The new E8 interface is really slick and more polished than the e680i. However, the new platform is an engineering disaster (I’m sure there will be lots of stories coming out later). Moto is not lacking talented and passionate people. They just suck at understanding what’s needed to make and maintain good software.

]]> By: HangLoose http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6549 HangLoose Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:07:37 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6549 "Obviously, Motorola is a company that doesn’t know what it wants. That’s why they can never do anything right. I hope the company dies or bought and assimilated. They deserve nothing better. I just hope their employees find new jobs soon and get the hell out of there." ------------------------------------------------------ There couldn't be any better explanation about Motorola. I have worked in a Motorola Division and when the higher execs would drop their asses around, supposedly to solve our problems, was better to have lunch/dinner and whatever. No planning, no leader, no hit product, no salvation. :) Bad products go to the garbage, good products tend to survive DOT “Obviously, Motorola is a company that doesn’t know what it wants. That’s why they can never do anything right. I hope the company dies or bought and assimilated. They deserve nothing better. I just hope their employees find new jobs soon and get the hell out of there.”
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There couldn’t be any better explanation about Motorola.
I have worked in a Motorola Division and when the higher execs would drop their asses around, supposedly to solve our problems, was better to have lunch/dinner and whatever.
No planning, no leader, no hit product, no salvation.
:)

Bad products go to the garbage, good products tend to survive DOT

]]> By: sergiusens http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6548 sergiusens Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:10:16 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6548 lol, I'm a soon to be ex-motorolan, I've been working on TEAM... used to work with EZX... The funny thing is that I never new that Greg Brown had his emails printed, I've been too worried in eradicating the whole MS dependency... :-P lol, I’m a soon to be ex-motorolan, I’ve been working on TEAM… used to work with EZX…
The funny thing is that I never new that Greg Brown had his emails printed, I’ve been too worried in eradicating the whole MS dependency… :-P

]]> By: mark azhun http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6542 mark azhun Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:19:29 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6542 There be but simple rules in expectation of profit. First that there be no free lunch and so someone actually will need to do the planning, coding, testing, tweaking, polishing, marketing and delivery of product to the consumer. Second that as a whole there be great burden at present in inefficient and unresponsive management to the health of the business since these are too often merely passing players. Alas too few business majors can make a product. There be but simple rules in expectation of profit. First that there be no free lunch and so someone actually will need to do the planning, coding, testing, tweaking, polishing, marketing and delivery of product to the consumer. Second that as a whole there be great burden at present in inefficient and unresponsive management to the health of the business since these are too often merely passing players. Alas too few business majors can make a product.

]]> By: Marc http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6541 Marc Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:19:34 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6541 Companies like Motorola are semiconductor companies and never will understand the importance of software. They don't want to invest on software, they don't want to buy software and they believe that any engineer can write good software if product management delivers the specs. They have to evolve or they will disappear. Companies like Motorola are semiconductor companies and never will understand the importance of software. They don’t want to invest on software, they don’t want to buy software and they believe that any engineer can write good software if product management delivers the specs. They have to evolve or they will disappear.

]]> By: Eugenia http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6540 Eugenia Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:08:22 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6540 Yes, I have tried two of these phones and it took between 12 (V8) and 14 (Rokr E2) clicks. That is, from the front screen to access the bluetooth panel under settings and turn it on/off. My phones didn't have any BT shortcut in the shortcut menu, if that's what you are referring to. And that's another thing that always bothered me with Motorola's Linux phones: no firmware upgrades. The ones that can be found on the internet are bootleg or leaked versions, pretty dangerous to flash. Zero responsibility to fix bugs. Yes, I have tried two of these phones and it took between 12 (V8) and 14 (Rokr E2) clicks. That is, from the front screen to access the bluetooth panel under settings and turn it on/off. My phones didn’t have any BT shortcut in the shortcut menu, if that’s what you are referring to.

And that’s another thing that always bothered me with Motorola’s Linux phones: no firmware upgrades. The ones that can be found on the internet are bootleg or leaked versions, pretty dangerous to flash. Zero responsibility to fix bugs.

]]> By: NA http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6539 NA Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:04:23 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/03/26/the-failure-of-motorola/#comment-6539 are u sure it takes 14 steps last time I tried it was 3 or 6 ... :) are u sure it takes 14 steps last time I tried it was 3 or 6 … :)

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