Is APPLE Reneging on Cut and Paste?

[icebike]

I've noticed that any mention of cut and paste, even those quoting iPhone marketing head Greg Joswiak, are systematically being deleted from Apple Forums lately. This started just prior to the release of 2.2.

Censoring posters is one thing, but censoring their own head of marketing seem a bit desperate.

Instead we get fairly useless "features" and pointless redesigns of various applications with no new functionality other than that provided largely by third parties (street view). Have we seen a de-facto core feature freeze on the iPhone?

 

[JustinHorn]

The new features in map app are great and a hell of a lot more useful than copy / paste. I think the walking and public trans are great because I use my GPS more when I travel anyway and most of the time don't rent a car. And yes, google provides the data / API, but apple creates the app to connect to that data.

 

[icebike]

?

> And yes, google provides the data / API, but apple creates the app to connect to that data.

I'm not so sure. The copyright in Maps on the iphone says Google, Not Apple.

 

[JustinHorn]

> And yes, google provides the data / API, but apple creates the app to connect to that data.

I'm not so sure. The copyright in Maps on the iphone says Google, Not Apple.

Hmm... Good point, I didn't think about that

 

[Rene Ritchie]

You know what's funny? After 2 weeks without my iPhone, and with cut and paste devices like the Android G1, Treo Pro, and HTC FUZE...

I miss the iPhone's way of doing it.

iPhone: On a web page, want to send the URL, hit the + button, tap Email, choose address, send, back on page. Boom.

Other phones: Complex procedure involving cut and paste, switching apps, styluses!!!! and other stuff so annoying I just stopped doing it.

Sure, I'd like cut and paste on the iPhone. Why not? But I'd expect it to be iPhone drop-dead simple to use. And I expect Apple expects me to expect that, and until they can "do it right" they'd rather not do it at all.

Everything on the iPhone is system-wide (stealing from Dieter from last night's Round Robin podcast! Go listen to him!), and it has to work for everything and everywhere, and there's no second chance if they mess it up. It's CTRL-C/V/P or Mouse moves all over again. New platform, new paradigm.

They have to nail it. (and BlackBerry Storm and Android haven't)

 

[wabbit#IM]

And yes, google provides the data / API, but apple creates the app to connect to that data.

i would put money that google makes the app, streetview been out for google mobile maps for 6 or so months now. the same way, the google app uses apples locked api in the app for the sensor, i think the people who write the iphones map app, did that too hence they know the call for to / from your head.

apple really dont make anything, they repackage stuff under their name.

 

[JustinHorn]

Google Mobile App (iPhone version): This software includes BSJSON software developed by Blake Seely (http://www.blakeseely.com). This software is based in part on Spexx: Copyright (c) 2002-2003 Jean-Marc Valin.

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Apple wrote the Google Maps App for the iPhone, using Google's data feeds.

 

[Stevie No-Wonder]

apple really dont make anything, they repackage stuff under their name.

Uh huh.... like Bill did with Windows?

 

[3gmacattack]

Apple isn't going to just throw copy and paste in there much like rim did with the storm and end up with a disaster. When they do it it will be done right and that's why it's taking longer then people want, and 2.2 is great

 

[marcol]

I've noticed that any mention of cut and paste, even those quoting iPhone marketing head Greg Joswiak, are systematically being deleted from Apple Forums lately. This started just prior to the release of 2.2.

I don't go there much but I'm sure this has happened before with other topics. This is an excerpt from the T&C you sign up to when you use the site:

1. Stay on topic. Apple Discussions is here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively. Unless otherwise noted, do not add Submissions about nontechnical topics, including:
1. Speculations or rumors about unannounced products.
2. Discussions of Apple policies or procedures or speculation on Apple decisions.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Help

 

[marcol]

and 2.2 is great

It's great at what it is but no good at all at what it isn't

Best thing: Safari stability. Much, much more valuable to me than copy and paste.

 

[marcol]

Everything on the iPhone is system-wide

<cough>Landscape keyboard</cough>

That I want!

 

[JustinHorn]

Apple isn't going to just throw copy and paste in there much like rim did with the storm and end up with a disaster. When they do it it will be done right and that's why it's taking longer then people want, and 2.2 is great

I agree, here is a post I made on my blog...

dizzy says...

On his website Daring Fireball, John Gruber recently responded to an article by Macworld about the Storm?s copy & paste feature. Hopefully those of you that read this will give apple a bit more credit for waiting to deliver it?s copy & paste solution.

Here is the section of the Macworld article that covers copy & paste:

And while we?re on the subject of welcome features that users are clamoring for, let?s not overlook (cue fanfare) cut-and-paste. BlackBerry has shown Apple how it?s done, by using the same multi-touch technology used in the iPhone 3G. Here?s how it works: you put one finger at the start of what you want to copy, and one finger at the end to highlight text; then press the Menu button to select ?cut? or ?copy?. Now, this is a feature that we haven?t really felt the need for but the Macworld readership has being quite vocal about the lack of cut-and-paste on the iPhone. RIM?s solution doesn?t work well enough for us because it is fiddly beyond belief (?using this would drive you mad,? said one of our testers). But in the absence of anything better from Apple this is an area where RIM scores a point, just.

And Gruber?s comments:

?How exactly is a crap UI that ?will drive you mad? showing Apple how it?s done? Would the iPhone be better with more ? but poorly-designed ? features? I?m sure some people agree, but it seems an odd sentiment for Mac users.?

I believe the question from Gruber?s comments sums it up quite nicely. My answer is NO, I don?t need more features just to have them, especially poorly designed ones. This idea of quantity vs quality applies to many facets of life, not just programming?do you really need 37 different wash setting on your dishwasher? No, probably not, but it helps their marketing department and as consumer we eat it up!

Even though it?s just apple being apple in response to unfounded user demands, I still give them credit for not throwing something together like RIM. Storm?s failure to deliver copy & paste in an intuitive and easy to use way should really give those iPhone users demanding this feature pause. What?s the point of having a feature if it?s such a pain in the ass to use, you never do? Be careful what you wish for!

 

[Jdub]

<cough>Landscape keyboard</cough>

That I want!

I agree 110%!! The number 1 thing on my list I want!! How hard is it to create landscape mode for SMS and email? For the love of !!

 

[devonair]

I thought I wanted landscape keyboard, but I would much rather have cut-and-paste. The more I get used to using the iPhone keyboard, the more I realize that getting my fingers adjusted to one layout would make switching back-and-forth awkward. Plus, using a portrait-size keyboard is actually more efficient (less finger travel).

 

[mcdan333#AC]

@devonair: a portrait keyboard is not more efficient if every third keystroke is backspace. By your logic, a postage stamp-size keyboard would be even more efficient (less finger travel).

 

[devonair]

@mcdan333 touche' =) But for someone like myself, who is used to Treo/Blackberry/portrait-style physical keyboards, I've become decently comfortable with the touchscreen as is. If someone wants a landscape keyboard, more power to them, but my personal opinion is that it would make it harder to train your muscle memory to use the touchscreen accurately if you constantly switch back and forth between portrait and landscape (because the travel between "keys" would not be the same in both modes). If you're the type of user who doesn't mind this, then more power to you.

 

[mcdan333#AC]

You do have a point, devonair. In any case, I agree with you totally about cut and paste. That's my #1 feature wish too.

 

[icebike]

Apple isn't going to just throw copy and paste in there much like rim did with the storm and end up with a disaster. When they do it it will be done right and that's why it's taking longer then people want, and 2.2 is great

You are a serial enabler 3Gmacattack.

I'm not sure that regurgitating Apple excuses is useful here. They've had two years.

They spend untold hours trying to out fox the Dev Team, (which does not improve their bottom line in any way), and they push niche products to the iPhone (iphoto, ilife, iKeynote) and stonewall the users on things the phone can actually do, just because Steve Says No(tm).

No mms, no movie camera, horribly crippled Bluetooth, and yes, cut/paste.

(Cut/paste is not even on my top 5 list of wants for this phone, its just been promised for longer than is reasonable).

My wish would be for them to stop hoisting their balls like street thugs and leave the Dev Team alone with their games. (Apple still sells the phones, but DevTeam hacks frees Apple from the warranty. How sweet is that for the bottom line? Pocket the cash, and shed the liability!).

Then get on with Push for Apps. That ALONE removes the need for MMS, SMS, and enables true KILLER apps for this phone that will bury Blackberry forever. It could be done with nothing more complex than port knocking. No patents to license, no royalties to pay.

But respectfully, I suggest you not parrot Apple excuses. Its disingenuous and not helpful.