Microsoft drops cut and paste from Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has claimed that it's deliberately dropped cut and paste from Windows Phone 7 Series because users don't need it.

The software giant has been unveiling new features for Windows Phone 7 Series at this week's MIX10 conference, but also revealed that it's decided to exclude a feature that has been a staple of Windows Mobile for many years.

"We don't enable copy and paste and we do that very intentionally," said Windows Phone executive Todd Brix, according to CNet.com. "We try to anticipate what the user wants so copy and paste isn't necessary."

Instead, Microsoft will offer what it calls "smart linking", where users will be able to double-click on a items such as phone numbers or email addresses and add them to their address book. However, general cut and paste actions will be disabled, even in the mobile version of the Office 2010 apps that will be available on all Windows Phone 7 Series handsets.

"We tried to focus on what the core use cases were," Brix said. "Certainly there will be some people that wont be happy with some of those decisions."

Microsoft's decision is certainly a brave one, given the level of ridicule directed at Apple for its failure to include cut and paste in the first two generations of the iPhone.

Although the missing feature didn't have a detrimental effect on iPhone sales, Apple eventually bowed to demand and included cut and paste in the iPhone 3GS software.