"Ready for another long, drawn-out copy and paste controversy to overtake your every waking moment for a year or two? Good: Microsoft just mentioned in a Q&A session here at MIX10 in no uncertain terms that clipboard operations won't be supported on Windows Phone 7 Series... so that's that."
This is one of the groan-worthy things I learned about Windows phone 7 about a month ago, but haven't been able to share because it was under NDA. So...uh, yeah, no copy and paste right now in the product. Every MVP in the room had a fit when this information was revealed; it was real "shock and awe". We of course immediately started asking the team how they could leave out something so core to user experience, and the general response was that they wanted to have it in the product, but they couldn't fit it in by shipping time. I know, I know, many of you will feel they should have left something else out of the product and put in copy and paste. But, you know, there's this update thing that might make painful omissions like this easy for Microsoft to fix in the months after they go code complete, but before the products actually hit the shelves. The Zune HD that I took out of the box was missing a bunch of feature until I connected it and got the update so...there's hope. But proceed with your screaming and ranting anyway. ;-)
It seems odd that WP7 is about 2 years late, yet still doesn't support something as basic as cut and paste. I've mentioned before that I'm convinced Microsoft has but one lonely programmer working on windows mobile. The rest the team is busy marketing and poking fun at the device Microsoft seems most intent on copying. Strnage strategy to me.
"We don't enable copy and paste and we do that very intentionally," Windows Phone executive Todd Brix said in an interview.
Brix said many times when a user copies something on a phone, what they really are looking to do is take a specific action, such as calling a phone number or e-mailing an address. For those specific tasks, Microsoft has what it calls "smart linking," which lets a user double click on a phone number and either call it or add it to the phone book. For an address, one can get a map without having to copy and paste the address.
"It's actually an intentional design decision," he said. "We try to anticipate what the user wants so copy and paste isn't necessary."
You know where else copy and paste comes in handy? When I am entering in my complex and very random WPA2 encryption key when setting up WiFi. I had to do that when I set up my son's Touch a couple of years ago, and it wasn't pretty.
Or simply entering passwords for forum websites like this one.
If that wasn't simple spin (which is what I'm guessing), then what a dough-head.
I swear, WP7 really makes me vomit the more I see and hear about it. I think perhaps if they'd called it MediaPhone 1.0 or PinkOS 1.0 or something, perhaps I'd have less ire. But to try and fool anyone into thinking of this as a 7.0 OS is sad. And to abandon 6.5 generations worth of features (and users and apps) in order to play a wannabe, also-ran, Zune-like role to the iPhone is wretch-worthy. Very pretty. Very "cool." Very, unnecessarily flashy. Very lacking in deep substance. Very much like most any skin (Samsung TouchWiz, Sony-Ericsson Panels, etc.) applied to any phone since the iPhone came out.
Yes, I've barely used the copy/paste on my iPhone. Maybe 10 times. But when I need it, it is needed. And fundamental. To completely ignore it and then try and play it off like you did it on purpose because "you don't really need it" is just so freaking Apple-like...and obviously not the good side of Apple. It is seriously embarrassing. Like, cower behind a bush embarrassing. And arrogant. Something that seems endearing (to some) coming from Steve Jobs is not so much coming from Steve Ballmer.
We'll see where this is in a few years, if it is there in a few years, but man, I can't even begin to think about supporting this kind of crap out of a company I generally so respect and defend. Please, Bill, come back!!!
/Rant
PS - Yes, I know there is some better-than-iPhone substance there, like being able to register an app as a photo editor or video editor (though it is mighty kludgy right now) and I definitely like the organization of the interface better than the iPhone. I'm just really angry that they lost so much and seem to be allowing themselves to be dragged around by Apple's tail. And getting whipped by it. We didn't need another iPhone. We needed a better (much), more modern Windows Mobile. And this ain't it.
Windows Phone executive Todd Brix seems to have a different take.
Utterly ridiculous. This is lipstick on a pig; they're trying to make it sound like a feature they couldn't cram into the code in time is really on "purpose" and when they have the development resources to get it added, they'll say it's being added due to user demand.
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Honestly, nothing ever changes with Microsoft. I recall saying a few times in the past (moving from Palm-sized PC to PPC, from PPC to WM, from WM5 to 6) that every time MS updates their software, they add one feature you want and three features you don't care about, then they remove two features you really, really need. This is a much bigger change, starting an OS from scratch, but they just couldn't help themselves... they did the same thing again, but on a larger scale. The arrogance of Brix's explanation is staggering... that they know what I want to cut and paste and why.
Jason, who are you kidding that they'll update the OS with this later? Before you answer, please count out loud to yourself the number of years (or versions) that users demanded a close button while MS ignored us completely, insisting that they knew how to use our devices better than we did. Brix makes it completely clear that this is not just a feature to be added later, but an intentional decision, but even if he hadn't, don't we really have enough experience with MS to know what will happen? (Or what won't happen in this case.) Anyone who buys a WP7 had better do so with the full expectation that they will never, ever see a copy and paste function. Perhaps the venders could incude a little paper notebook and pen in the box for users to jot notes on for when they want to move information between applications.
As for me, this pretty much sets my future. Does Android copy and paste? (I must admit, I never considered that question before.) If so, then I guess Android is my next phone. I am grateful to SPB for deciding to make a Mobile Shell for it.
Jason, who are you kidding that they'll update the OS with this later? Before you answer, please count out loud to yourself the number of years (or versions) that users demanded a close button while MS ignored us completely, insisting that they knew how to use our devices better than we did. Brix makes it completely clear that this is not just a feature to be added later, but an intentional decision...
What is said to the press isn't always the reality of the situation; you can be sure that this response was pre-determined by Microsoft PR and the said "OK, when this ugly truth is known and people are starting to freak out about it, here's what we're going to say...we're going to spin it like it's something we meant to do".
The truth wouldn't play as well with the media: "We had to make some really hard decisions with this brand new OS - we re-did everything from scratch, which took tremendous developer resources, and when we compared having copy and paste to Live Tiles, Facebook integration or several other high-profile features, copy and paste just didn't make the list. We're sorry and we're committing to our users to have it included as soon as possible."
Personally, I would have preferred the truth, but hey, that's just me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Alexander
As for me, this pretty much sets my future. Does Android copy and paste? (I must admit, I never considered that question before.) If so, then I guess Android is my next phone.
I'm the king of hyperbole sometimes, but really? The lack of copy/paste is enough for you to write off this whole OS? Really? How often do you use copy/paste every week? I agree that they should have added it, but in the grand scheme of everything that Windows phone 7 offers, the lack of copy and paste is a minor irritation to me at best, and likely not something I'll notice until I need it and can't use it. I'm sure I'll get irked, but come on, life is too short for this.
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I was actually looking forward to coming back to MS, despite those butt ugly tiles. Too many compromises though. I guess the HD2 will be the last great windows mobile.
Windows phone 7 Will Lack Copy & Paste: Please Proceed With Your Screaming and Yelling
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