Today at MIX10 Microsoft told our sibling site WMExperts that there would be no cut, copy, and paste in Windows Phone 7 Series, which follows on the news of an Apple iPhone-style closed app market and lack of 3rd party multitasking. When the original iPhone 2G debuted in 2007 without cut, copy, and paste, multitasking, and most importantly a third-party app platform, it led certain editors-in-chief who shall remain nameless (though not pictured-less) wondered — and not unjustifiably — if the iPhone could be considered a smartphone?

iPhone 2.0 brought the 3rd party apps. iPhone 3.0 brought cut, copy, paste and a host of other “missing” features. iPhone 4.0 may even bring multitasking. Regardless, we thought the iPhone 2G certainly was a smartphone then, and now, and certainly think the same about Windows Phone 7 Series, and Palm webOS when it debuted lacking certain features. It takes an incredible amount of effort to launch a new mobile OS and no company, not Apple, not Google, not even Microsoft have unlimited time, talent, and resources to nail everything in version 1.0. Our question remains, to get cut, copy, and paste (or whatever feature you think is missing), what other feature would you give up? Notifications? The new user experience? There’s an opportunity cost to everything.

Of course, when Apple launched iPhone 1.0 it wasn’t leaving behind a large existing user base accustomed to many of those now missing features the way Microsoft is with Windows Phone 7 Series. So, yeah, it’ll be interesting to see if they can grab enough new users to make up for all the ones they’re gone to lose. Because, if all those Windows 6.x users are suddenly faced with something new and different, it may not be too far a stretch to go for a different platform entirely. Including an iPhone. Which has cut, copy, and paste and may just have multitasking by then. So to them, to you, potential iPhone switchers:

Welcome! How you doing?

WhenWillApple has found another new goodie in the just released iPhone 3.1 Beta 3: Settings > General > Usage now shows Tethering Data alongside the previous Cellular Network Data counter.

Since countries outside the US, and carriers other than AT&T have offered tethering pretty much since the launch of iPhone 3.0, does this new addition, alongside the return of MMS settings in iPhone 3.1 Beta 1 released a month ago, hint that AT&T might finally be getting their iPhone offerings in order?

Insert your AT&T tethering rumor here!

Following up on the recent release of iPhone 3.1 Beta 3, WhenWillApple has posted up a YouTube video (embedded above) showing the new copy/paste functionality for videos.

Like copy/paste for images in iPhone 3.0, this allows you to send copies of your videos without the compression that goes along with the Share function. Just pick a video, tap and hold for “copy”, switch to email, tap and hold for paste.

Again, the size of the email boxes (sender and receiver) will likely still be a limiting factor. (MobileMe allows for 20MB per email, for example).

We have a few good topics being discussed on the forums today, so lets get right to it.

First up, What is the most over-rated missing iPhone feature? MMS? Copy and Paste perhaps? Something else? Check that thread out and cast your vote!

Back in December we told you that AT&T started selling refurbished iPhones. Well that brings us to our next thread, started by Madscotsman. He is wondering about the quality of the refurbished iPhones that AT&T is currently selling. If you have bought one, how is it holding up? Is everything grand or have you had issues?

This next thread was started by xintelinsanex, it’s all about the new iPhone. What do you expect from Apple? Better camera, more storage, how about a higher resolution screen? Describe what your ideal next generation iPhone should be!

New to iPhone and need some protection to make sure it stays in perfect condition? Well you are going to need a case and what a better thread to see what other forum members are using than the iPhone 3G Case Options thread. If you bought a case that you loved or hated… be sure to give your opinion!

Before posting in our forums be sure to be a registered member, it’s free and will only take a minute or two of you time. Registration can be done right here.

See you on the forums!

Well here is yet one more attempt to get cut/copy and paste going via a Jailbroken app from iSpazio. Clippy inserts two buttons into the iPhone system keyboard, one for copying and the other for pasting. One major gripe is that it only accepts user-entered text. So there is no copying any text from web sites or emails, etc…

It’s very easy to use this app. Once installed, start typing text, then select it with your finger, and tap the “123″ key to show a new line at the top of your keyboard. Now tap copy and then enjoy yourself to paste your text in every other app you want!

Again, this app is available for free if you have a Jailbroken iPhone. To try it out, simply go to the iSpazio Repository in Cydia and download it straight to your phone. While this app is not perfect, it is a much better attempt than the previous tries

[Story via iSpazio. Screenshot via TUAW via iPhone Download Blog]

Just how badly do you want copy and paste? Here at TiPb we have covered several stories revolving around copy and paste, go ahead and take a look, it may just make your head spin.

Who knows if Apple will ever include copy and paste in a future firmware update… Until that day comes, if it does come, we have to rely on other means.  Namely jailbreaking.  This is where CopierciN comes into play. It is latest attempt to bring us a very simple, yet effective, feature and is now available for jailbreakers via Cydia.

CopierciN is a basic text editor which, hopefully, bring some kind of copy/paste mechanism to iPhone (to jailbroken ones only, unfortunately). It does not add copy/paste functionality directly to other applications but it provides a mechanism to import text from and export text to SMS, Notes, Mail applications (more to come in the future) and files in the filesystem. Clever, isn’t it?

Keep in mind it is a beta application, but if you’ve jailbroken your iPhone, go ahead and give it a try! You can find it in Cydia, under the BigBoss repository, under utilities. Let us know how it works for you.

(Via Gizmodo)