Windows Phone 7 Moves Forward

Microsoft's new mobile platform is due a big update in early 2011 and developers already have an early copy of the software. Copy and paste is the biggest anticipated feature of the update.Bink.nu has video of how the copy and paste functionality works. It seems pretty straight forward in that you just tap and drag text on the screen and copy it to the clipboard. Apps that can accept a paste have a picture of the clipboard icon. Microsoft has shunned the tap-and-hold menu that is similar to the right-click menu on a mouse driven device.

While I doubt the addition of copy and paste will spur sales, it will make the platform more complete and give critics one less issue to use to say the platform is behind the times. Never mind that Microsoft added a feature in three months that took Apple two years to add to the iPhone.

It also shows that Microsoft seems willing to back up its claim that it will provide updates to devices, which is a sharp contrast from the Windows Mobile days. In fact, Microsoft is set to announce at Mobile World Congress in 2011 a second update that will allow for better multitasking for third party apps via changes to the API, in-app downloads and more end user customization possibilities according to a post by WinRumors.

According to Forbes, Microsoft is pressing forward with the platform at full speed too, otherwise, why would they be hiring 40 people to work on or with the fledgling platform? The list includes software engineers, hardware engineers and public relations managers.

While Windows Phone 7 isn't likely burning up the sales charts Microsoft is committed to it, as they have said many times before. Effort doesn't guarantee success, but it does guarantee that the OS will be around for a while and will be given a fair chance by Microsoft to earn its share based on its merits.