Filed under: iPhone
Greg Joswiak explains iPhone missing features
ExtremeTech managed to score an interview with Apple's vice president of Hardware Product Marketing Greg Joswiak where he discusses some of the tradeoffs of the 3G iPhone. He explains that cut and paste didn't make it into iPhone 2.0 just because they didn't get to it, judging "other things to be more important." He also corrects David Pogue who had previously claimed that the iPhone was not technically capable of turn-by-turn GPS, leading us to believe that the limitations aren't technical so much as legal.Personally, I find it rather strange that Apple considers cut and paste such a low priority feature. I often find myself really missing it, and you'd think it would be worth implementing just to shut up all the people who complain about it. Nonetheless, I suppose this is hopeful in that it suggests that Apple will probably get around to it at some point.
[via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Chad Zeluff said 11:13AM on 7-15-2008
So, is there a reason that the iPhone DOESN'T have MMS, or is this feature "low-priority" as well?
CZ
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Rich UK said 11:31AM on 7-15-2008
I really don't get everyone's issue with MMS or even copy and paste. Have them both on my phone and rarely use them. I get sick of the message "this image is too large to send in mms do you wish to resize?" No, i rather have full email and just email it to someone. As for copy and paste, i can't recall a time i've used them. Mind you if apple wants to step it up into business use they better fix up, sort out copy and paste for use in some kind of office suite.
Just my opinion, i understand others out there may be reliant on MMS, but I have trouble figuring out who those people are.
punkassjim said 11:52AM on 7-15-2008
Um, Rich UK: if you're having trouble figuring out just who relies on MMS (or needs cut-and-paste), you may want to look no further than the myriad complainers who've mentioned that they want it. Just a thought.
I don't care for MMS either, but I fully understand that there are people who have priorities and needs that are different from mine.
Personally, above all else, I think they NEED to re-write the scrubber:
http://www.graphpaper.com/2007/11-14_scrubbing-the-iphone-scrubber
caleb said 12:11PM on 7-15-2008
@Rich - I despise MMS as well and would rather just use email. However until all my friends have (push) email enabled phones, I will still have a need for it. I just hope Apples plan for MMS isn't to just wait until that time arrives.
Bungles said 11:16AM on 7-15-2008
cut and paste was not more important then anything they added with firmware 2.0
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punkassjim said 11:56AM on 7-15-2008
I know it's just one man's opinion, but I think it should have come before the scientific calculator.
Jack Klink said 11:15AM on 7-15-2008
it may be hard for them to add the copy and past feature.
they may not currently have the capability to have a clipboard that will be savable to from all apps.
I hope we see a better GPS app soon(maybe Garmin or DeLorme will make one).
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Dale said 4:43PM on 7-15-2008
If they're building a common, system-wide notification service, I'm sure a common, system-wide clipboard will be a doddle.
sscott said 11:13AM on 7-15-2008
Copy and paste not an important feature? Yeah....ok....
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John Russell said 2:43AM on 7-16-2008
Here's what I'm thinking they ought to do:
Select the text you want to copy. Then you basically draw, with your finger, a C around the text. It copied the text. Get it, C for copy? Cut could be either something like and X, or maybe even a C that then got crossed out. If you want to continue with the keyboard shortcut pattern, paste could simply be a V, or if you want, something like a P without the bar, standing for both P for paste and the opposite of C for copy (being flipped around). When something is copied to the clipboard, just have a little symbol up in the top bar showing so.
What do you think? Does this make sense? This seems like the most intuitive way for me. Mind you, I don't have an iPhone, but I figured I'd try.
KA said 10:04AM on 7-16-2008
How would you select the text?
John Kenneth Fisher said 11:18AM on 7-15-2008
So where the hell is MMS???!?!?!?!?!?!?!
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Bobnease said 11:49AM on 7-15-2008
I fail to see why everyone "has to have MMS". I have had MMS on my phones for years, and I have only used them maybe twice. I would much rather have the ability to e-mail a higher res picture to a friend than text a lo-res version to someone.
And while the possibility of MMS will probably be in the iPhone's future, I think there's a good chance that it will probably come from 3rd party devs. Who knows, Apple might kick one out as well. Will I use it? Probably not, but that depends on how much AT&T wants to charge me for the service, which I think they would charge extra.
caleb said 12:15PM on 7-15-2008
@Bobnease - I don't ever initiate an MMS message (not that I could now), but my friends do and as long as i continue to have to go to viewmymessage.com to view an MMS message I will bitch about not having MMS capability on my phone.
brian said 12:21PM on 7-15-2008
I have had MMS and never used it... because data costs were so high. Now that rates are coming down I WOULD use it because a) it's instant and b) anyone with a (decent) cell phone can use it--no need for them to configure yet ANOTHER account (email) and for me to have YET ANOTHER address to use and then HOPE that they're set up for push or are polling often. I would LOVE to be able to INSTANTLY send a pic as QUICKLY and EASILY as I send text messages to ANYONE that I already send texts to. Email is NOT the answer to everything. The whole point of SMS/MMS is a) it's instant and b) it's getting to the person (assuming they've got their phone on and nearby.) All you who whine "I don't see the need for MMS", did you complain this much about SMS because hey, we've already got email and IM?
The whole point is this: MMS, just like EVERYTHING ELSE, isn't for everyone, but it's there and there is not a single technical reason Apple COULDN'T deliver it.
Dorv said 11:15AM on 7-15-2008
I can't wait for them to implement, just so people would stop complaining about it.
Would cut/paste make my life easier on my iPhone, Yes.
Would I have been pissed if that had been added rather than, say, Exchange support? Hell yes.
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Dorv said 11:15AM on 7-15-2008
I can't wait for them to implement, just so people would stop complaining about it.
Would cut/paste make my life easier on my iPhone, Yes.
Would I have been pissed if that had been added rather than, say, Exchange support? Hell yes.
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Gabe said 11:26AM on 7-15-2008
MMS is a thing of the past, every other phone needs to upgrade and start using email more effectively.
Copy paste would be nice, turn by turn navigation would be nicer (did the rumor about tom tom die?)
-www.engadget.com/2008/06/09/tomtom-already-has-iphone-navigation-software-ready-to-roll
Can someone release the 2.0 jailbreak already?! I'm dying without "toggle backlight"
John Kirk said 1:41PM on 7-15-2008
Cut and paste is a major interface change. Some Apple programer probably did the scientific calculator during his lunch break...
tevetorbes said 11:18AM on 7-15-2008
CFopy-and-paste, as you mentioned, is SORELY missed by many iPhone users. Considering we are completely and wholly unable to receive a picture message without remembering some obscure username and password, you'd think Apple would throw us a bone and add copy/paste so that I wouldn't have to switch back and forth between Safari and the SMS screen 4 or 5 times to view a pic.
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