Microsoft Apologetics On Why Copy/Paste UnnecessaryMicrosoft Apologetics On Why Copy/Paste Unnecessary

As anyone knows that has been following the impending release of Windows Phone 7 knows, the OS will not support copy and paste operations. Rather than just say that copy and paste is something Microsoft wants to do, they have begun a campaign to try and convince you that copy and paste is unnecessary.You'll need to register for access to the Windows Phone 7 site to see the video. For some reason, they don't use the Windows Live ID system for this site.

The video starts by explaining why copy and paste is unnecessary to share a URL with someone. In the old days of Windows Mobile 6.x, the voice explains that they would have to copy the URL and then paste it into an email. That is a number of steps and the new Smart-sensing technology will save you all of that hassle. You simply tap on the link and Internet Explorer will offer to send it to various email accounts on your device for quick emailing. Handy huh? Actually, it is, but it isn't new, and is actually limiting.

The first problem is the video is simply wrong. For the last few versions of Windows Mobile, you can simply tap Menu|Tools|Send Link. Granted, the location of this menu item isn't the best place for this feature, but it isn't hard to find. The second problem is, can anyone possibly conceive of another place you might want to send a URL? Twitter maybe, or Facebook? Smart-sensing doesn't support that, but copy and paste would. Of course, Microsoft could add Facebook and Twitter to its Smart-sensing menu, but what if you want to send it to Ping.fm or LinkedIn? They could always add those too, but now the Smart-sensing menu is starting to look rather cluttered, and it is still missing dozens of social networking sites and a number of legitimate other destinations, such as Word, or the location of a webcast in an appointment or a URL in a contact.

The next example shows you just tap on an address in an appointment and up pops a map. While I'll admit that is probably the most common scenario, it isn't the only one. You may want to email or message the address, or drop it into a contact.

The truth is, Smart-sensing is a temporary hack. At least I hope it is temporary. Smart-sensing may have been faster to write than adding copy and paste to the all new operating system and UI. However, Microsoft should quit trying to tell us what we do and don't want. Palm used tell us we didn't need color, rich audio, high res screens, multitasking, etc. We didn't need them until they had it of course. Apple does the same thing. It just comes off as arrogant and condescending.

I'd be willing to bet Microsoft will add copy and paste in a future version, sooner rather than later. The first thing I want to hear from them is why this video is right in 2010 but wrong in 201x.