Biggest flaw in this concept - how do you select text while not in edit mode? If the keyboard isn't there, you can't hit that button. I know with this particular app it won't be necessary, but say I wanted to copy a phone number on a web page in Safari, this method wouldn't allow me to do that. Whatever solution Apple come up with has to work in both editing and non editing modes.
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MagicPad Editor Offers Copy and Paste
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But Apple's had a bit more than 15 minutes to devise a system-wide approach to copy and paste, probably two years or more. It's hard to believe that their software engineers couldn't have come up with a viable solution in that time.
Greg Joswiak claims that C&P hasn't been high enough on Apple's priority list to warrant it, despite the inclusion of this feature on nearly every reviewer's wish list since the iPhone appeared.
^^ Though they do have a lot of other functionality to complete in that period, some one which, like the AppStore, is more important.
*sigh* this is what happens when you have software/computer people do videos.
I mean, seriously... speeding up the footage so your mistakes don't look so obvious??
And 5 seconds to find the apostrophe, and a couple more to find the 'S' key?
But to contribute: Hooray for MagicPad, but having copy/past functionality in only one application isn't something I'm too thrilled about. I'm still waiting on Apple to have cross-application copy/pasting!
I mean, seriously... speeding up the footage so your mistakes don't look so obvious??
And 5 seconds to find the apostrophe, and a couple more to find the 'S' key?
But to contribute: Hooray for MagicPad, but having copy/past functionality in only one application isn't something I'm too thrilled about. I'm still waiting on Apple to have cross-application copy/pasting!
I'm betting that Apple's Copy/Paste solution will utilize the other side of your finger (finger nail) for text selection. That way everything we're currently familiar with stays and the extra feature of Copy/Paste is done outside of that.
Finger nail patent: http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july08/rightclick.png
I can see this used for context menus as pictured above as well as text selection without problems. Based on what you're touching with your nail it'll know if it should draw a context menu or begin text selection. Also, using your finger nail will allow for better precision without needing the magnify glass. Just try swiping your finger nail across text...
Finger nail patent: http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july08/rightclick.png
I can see this used for context menus as pictured above as well as text selection without problems. Based on what you're touching with your nail it'll know if it should draw a context menu or begin text selection. Also, using your finger nail will allow for better precision without needing the magnify glass. Just try swiping your finger nail across text...
A lot of the things we've been crying out for since day one(C&P, MMS, camera options, etc) would so easy for Apple to implement, they could do it blindfolded. The only issue, is whether They can be bothered, plain and simple.
Exactly... I would imagine if they did it similar to this, maybe having that gear placed in the status bar near the clock at the top. That menu is always visible in every app...
The only thing is the magnifying glass really wasn't designed for editing whole words only for selecting individual characters. It's pretty slow right now. What if you want to select a paragraph or two? Make a text box in Safari and try this... it's really slow.
Just to clear some things up
I'm the developer of this app, so wanted to clear some things up. Capen in the video is not a software developer. He reviews apps for appleiphoneapps.com.
MagicPad doesn't replace the loupe's ability to set your selection point. In order to start a selection you must double tap, hold, and drag. Loupe selection is accomplished by single tap, hold, and drag.
Also, the captcha is necessary because Apple's built in Mail app has no ability to send out rich messages. So it's required to go through our server. As soon as Apple adds the ability to send rich text emails to the built in Mail app, the feature can be removed, but we really didn't want people's notes to be trapped inside MagicPad, email lets you send it out. Plus MagicPad now doubles as a rich text email composer.
I'm the developer of this app, so wanted to clear some things up. Capen in the video is not a software developer. He reviews apps for appleiphoneapps.com.
MagicPad doesn't replace the loupe's ability to set your selection point. In order to start a selection you must double tap, hold, and drag. Loupe selection is accomplished by single tap, hold, and drag.
Also, the captcha is necessary because Apple's built in Mail app has no ability to send out rich messages. So it's required to go through our server. As soon as Apple adds the ability to send rich text emails to the built in Mail app, the feature can be removed, but we really didn't want people's notes to be trapped inside MagicPad, email lets you send it out. Plus MagicPad now doubles as a rich text email composer.
Apple needs to stop wasting our time.
According to the head of development on the iPhone, copy/paste is NOT a high priority. What? Users have been asking for it since day one! And yet, after 13 months, nothing. Apple only cares about taking our money with the useless AppStore full of games that were innovative in 1982 or my 7-year-old niece is interested in playing but no real useful apps like video capture, better camera software or games worthy of adults.
I have had REAL smart phones for years. From Sony to Nokia with Symbian technology that puts the sorry iPhone to shame, even 4 years ago.
The iPhone sells cause it is cute, fast and easy to use. But it really doesn't do anything new or special. The GPS is useless, the bluetooth is Mono, the camera is a very bad, limited 2MP with no zoom and no video. But at $200 nobody can refuse.
You can't even rename a photo downloaded from the internet and version 2.0 is a lot slower visually than 1.1.4. Not to mention constant crashes and waiting up to 5 seconds to look at contacts or open applications.
I had better games, video capture, zoom camera, audio recording FREE on 1.1.4. Not to mention custom icons, sounds, sliders and ringtones. 2.0 gives us a new calculator and the money-hungry AppStore. Whooa... What a great deal. Considering MobileMe sucks and it was misleading. There is nothing worth upgrading to 2.0. Unless u have a 3G which unfortunately can't be downgraded to 1.1.4....
MAgic Pad is SMART to do something Apple doesn't seem to care about and will have all the "geniuses" at Apple realizing they could have done it a long time ago and make millions of us happy in the process...
According to the head of development on the iPhone, copy/paste is NOT a high priority. What? Users have been asking for it since day one! And yet, after 13 months, nothing.
Apple only cares about taking our money with the useless AppStore full of games that were innovative in 1982 or my 7-year-old niece is interested in playing but no real useful apps like video capture, better camera software or games worthy of adults. I have had REAL smart phones for years. From Sony to Nokia with Symbian technology that puts the sorry iPhone to shame, even 4 years ago.
The iPhone sells cause it is cute, fast and easy to use. But it really doesn't do anything new or special. The GPS is useless, the bluetooth is Mono, the camera is a very bad, limited 2MP with no zoom and no video. But at $200 nobody can refuse.
You can't even rename a photo downloaded from the internet and version 2.0 is a lot slower visually than 1.1.4. Not to mention constant crashes and waiting up to 5 seconds to look at contacts or open applications.
I had better games, video capture, zoom camera, audio recording FREE on 1.1.4. Not to mention custom icons, sounds, sliders and ringtones. 2.0 gives us a new calculator and the money-hungry AppStore. Whooa... What a great deal. Considering MobileMe sucks and it was misleading. There is nothing worth upgrading to 2.0. Unless u have a 3G which unfortunately can't be downgraded to 1.1.4....
MAgic Pad is SMART to do something Apple doesn't seem to care about and will have all the "geniuses" at Apple realizing they could have done it a long time ago and make millions of us happy in the process...
Agree completely. He had so much trouble typing on it that I wouldn't feel comfortable using it when such a novice is either the developer or endorsing it. Moreover, there was no mention of whether or not it will be a free app. I am guessing it won't be because of the use of the server they say they have set up and because they seem to think they are the cats pajamas already. I am not looking forward to this app for a few reasons. Apple will implement copy and paste in good time and it will be worth it.
This doesn't really make any sense. They would have to introduce a new iPhone for this to work. The iPhones touch surface isn't a push type like other touch screens, it goes by the feel of your finger. It doesn't recognize your nail just like it doesn't recognize your keys in your pocket or a stylus. This would require more than just a firmware upgrade and would defeat the purpose of everything they built the iPhone OS on.
Wow, what a bunch of ungrateful jerkwads.
Everyone knows that copy & paste need to be a part of the OS. No one but Apple can do that, and they've been ignoring it from day one. At best, there is a mere possibility that it may come out with 2.1, but it still remains highly questionable, since just recently, Steve Joz said it was pretty low on the list of priorities.
Now someone comes out with an app that lets you actually write text and C&P text around within a doc, and instead of saying "hey, thanks, that's an actual functional program I could write a document or edit a big list of things with, without having to retype each item I want to move!", all you clowns do is b*tch and ridicule the developer?
I wonder why anyone bothers to write anything for you. You'd rather have nothing? Enjoy your nothing. I'll take an app I can re-order a list in.
Everyone knows that copy & paste need to be a part of the OS. No one but Apple can do that, and they've been ignoring it from day one. At best, there is a mere possibility that it may come out with 2.1, but it still remains highly questionable, since just recently, Steve Joz said it was pretty low on the list of priorities.
Now someone comes out with an app that lets you actually write text and C&P text around within a doc, and instead of saying "hey, thanks, that's an actual functional program I could write a document or edit a big list of things with, without having to retype each item I want to move!", all you clowns do is b*tch and ridicule the developer?
I wonder why anyone bothers to write anything for you. You'd rather have nothing? Enjoy your nothing. I'll take an app I can re-order a list in.
Thats a beautiful and very apple like implementation. As for why apple has not done this it would seem fairly obvious that with limited resources they prioritize those things needed to see to their target consumers. I would suspect that very few people would hold off buying an iphone for this feature.