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Uh...No copy and paste function?!?

I'm going to guess that that will get patched quickly...my TI-89 calculator has copy and paste. :p

It's extremely useful and necessary...though for all we know it has been added in last minute revisions, especially because David Pogue (and others maybe?) complained about it.
 
...

why in hell would you need copy and paste on a phone!!! apple probably thought about it.. they said.. erm... no...
 
The problem is it may not be as simple as just a software patch.

On WM-based PDA/smartphones holding down the stylus brings up the copy/paste sub menu. I believe on the iPhone if you hold finger down on a point, it has another function (forgot what?). So, how would they go about implementing the copy/paste sub menu? All the hardware buttons are used up, unless they create a new finger gesture?

I hope this is fixed, makes it near impossible to send links, news stories, etc to friends through email.
 
I have used various smartphones over the past 3.5 years and i have NEVER used copy and paste. There was one time i wanted to but couldn't figure out how to on that particular phone. Its not like you can edit docs on it yet. So i really don't see the point. Yet.
 
Dermot81 said:
The problem is it may not be as simple as just a software patch.

On WM-based PDA/smartphones holding down the stylus brings up the copy/paste sub menu. I believe on the iPhone if you hold finger down on a point, it has another function (forgot what?). So, how would they go about implementing the copy/paste sub menu? All the hardware buttons are used up, unless they create a new finger gesture?

I hope this is fixed, makes it near impossible to send links, news stories, etc to friends through email.
Click to expand...

Well links are taken care of through a share button while browsing in Safari, but yes, copy/paste should be added.
 
Dermot81 said:
I hope this is fixed, makes it near impossible to send links, news stories, etc to friends through email.
Click to expand...

Yes, and also, it will be very difficult to share large batches of text to friends you have found via email since there is no copy/paste function available on the iPhone, and I hope they will get this patched A.S.A.P.

coolosxapps
 
I'm pretty sure all the obvious top priority needs for copy and paste are taken care of...if I remember right, email, phone numbers and links are recognized by the iPhone's software as such already. The only thing I'm not sure about is street addresses, would be handy if someone mails you an address if you could just call it up on Maps.
 
TheAnswer said:
I'm pretty sure all the obvious top priority needs for copy and paste are taken care of...if I remember right, email, phone numbers and links are recognized by the iPhone's software as such already. The only thing I'm not sure about is street addresses, would be handy if someone mails you an address if you could just call it up on Maps.
Click to expand...

I think I saw addresses automatically recognized in one of the demo videos that I've seen online somewhere. It would really make sense...
 
i have copy and paste functionality on my nokia n80 and it has come in surprisingly useful on more than one occasion. i hope they will update and add this feature soon! its certainly not a deal breaker, but would be nice.
 
Dermot81 said:
The problem is it may not be as simple as just a software patch.

On WM-based PDA/smartphones holding down the stylus brings up the copy/paste sub menu. I believe on the iPhone if you hold finger down on a point, it has another function (forgot what?). So, how would they go about implementing the copy/paste sub menu? All the hardware buttons are used up, unless they create a new finger gesture?

I hope this is fixed, makes it near impossible to send links, news stories, etc to friends through email.
Click to expand...

actually if you bring up the KB CTRL + C, CTRL + V, CTRL + X all work, i think CTRL + A works too! if you have a slide out KB on your WM5 PDA the CTRL works there as well.

who the hell said copy and paste isnt needed? if you browse to a cool website but need to get the address into an email how would you do it? (the website address is one of those that are extremly tedious to type out and if you get 1 letter wrong it wont work)

what about copying an address into your notes? copy and pasting your pictures into email? dont tell me copy and paste isnt needed, if it isnt stop using it on your computer and for the rest of your life.
 
pr5owner said:
actually if you bring up the KB CTRL + C, CTRL + V, CTRL + X all work, i think CTRL + A works too! if you have a slide out KB on your WM5 PDA the CTRL works there as well.
Click to expand...

That's true, I guess it wouldn't be hard to have keyboard commands function as the interface for copying/pasting (especially if all 700MB of OSX is in there). The difficulty would then be in selecting text. From the videos, it seems as though trying to highlight a block of text will instead result in your finger causing the scroll motion or dragging a part of the screen in zoom mode.
 
Hmm... the way to figure out HOW to copy and paste something on the mutli-touch screen is probably the issue here. Like someone said, it probably just needs a new, unique finger gesture that's different enough from the other ones.

What about just using two fingers -- one, to just press down somewhere (as if to "hold" the screen in place), and then the other finger wipes over the text to be highlighted? I don't think that gesture has been used, yet. Then once you have something highlighted, releasing the screen with both fingers brings up a window with buttons to "copy" (to clipboard), "cut" (if you want to delete the text) or "cancel" (if you made a mistake).

For larger bodies of text, perhaps a three-finger press on the screen could be the equivalent of a right-click, bringing up a window with the above buttons, and also "select all," "paste," and other functions. If you do this, and you select "paste," a temporary cursor pops up, which you must drag to the point where you want to paste, and lifting your finger up adds the text at that spot.

Or maybe there's a less complicated way of doing all that.... ;)
 
I use it ALL THE TIME on my Treo - copy something from one e-mail to another, combine bits that two or three people sent into one place, copy text from a website into mail or SMS... a few times a day.

It's a computing fundamental - the ability to move text from one place to another without retyping. Hard to imagine that it's truly not in there at all...
 
I'm quite surprised by this. I use it on my Blackberry often.

Maybe you could touch the screen for a second and then slide your finger through the area that you wish to highlight to copy or cut (pop up menu once you let go.)

Paste could be something as simple as holding your finger in a text field for a second or two.

I hope Apple figures out the gestures quickly and adds them, this is a very basic function that any email device needs to have.
 
nickspohn said:
who cares.


all this can easily be added in software updates.
Click to expand...

i care :)

if you're supposed to be using the full internet and email applications, copy/cut/paste should be a given.

you try working without using copy/paste functions for a few hours and see how annoyed you get when you have to try and manually enter a long url with an obscure querystring tagged onto it.. lol..

i do hope Apple will resolve most issues by the time the iPhone makes it to europe :)
 
Apple will need to think of a pretty nice gesture in order to select text. Perhaps when the cursor is in text mode, just swiping your finger over the text you want highlighted would do it. That would be pretty cool.
 
I would be nice to cut and paste from web, word/PDF into email. Not really a deal breaker, but it could help productivity.
 
pr5owner said:
if you browse to a cool website but need to get the address into an email how would you do it? (the website address is one of those that are extremly tedious to type out and if you get 1 letter wrong it wont work)
Click to expand...

I seem to remember a SHARE button somewhere in the browser that will put the link in an email.
 
However shocking it initially sounded, I don't think I am going to miss a copy/paste function during my 20 minutes commute.

I am completely realize that there may be others who are more heavy on email use on their phone, and might sorely miss this feature.

It seems to be an awesome phone regardless and I WANT one - but I am going to wait till december for rev b.
 
Copy and Paste

How can someone ask why would you need copy and paste on "a phone" the iPhone is supposed to be more than a phone remember its a smart phone with an assortment of nonphone related characteristics.

Personally, I use copy and paste all the time on my blackberry copy between messages, documents, web sites, etc...this combined with the lack of push email (except for yahoo) means I will have to delay my iPhone lust for the time being...

Heck Apple's had copy and paste since before the Mac...Even the Apple Newton had copy and paste!!!
 
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