MS denial of WP7 copy-paste just stalling tactic

Despite claims to the contrary, Microsoft is still developing a way to use copy-and-paste text on Windows Phone 7, a "person close to the den" leaked today. He claimed that Microsoft has wanted it all along but had to cut it out of the initial version to make the late 2010 launch target. An update would come "soon" afterwards, veteran Microsoft follower and MIX10 attendee Long Zheng was told.

The details contradict what Microsoft had been telling MIX10 guests and the public earlier in the week. It had claimed that users didn't really need copy-and-paste features and that WP7's ability to auto-populate phone numbers through data detectors in the OS meant that it wouldn't be necessary. Both statements were regarded as odd given that Windows Mobile 6 already had the ability to clip text and that a new version of Office for WP7 would virtually demand the feature for editing.

Developers at Microsoft explained to Zheng that the company already knows how it will implement the feature and simply wants to integrate the feature properly in its new context.

The absence of the feature on launch is nonetheless considered a misstep for the new OS, since its role as Microsoft's new flagship mobile platform will make common Windows Mobile features like copy-and-paste text essential for business users. The addition of the feature was a significant factor in helping the iPhone get more business adoption, and its relatively intuitive form is credited with luring some BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users away from their platforms.

By Electronista Staff

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