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Windows Phone 7 -- 5 ways Microsoft hasn't learned from Apple's mistakes
In determining the features of Windows Phone 7, it seems Microsoft has taken cues from the iPhone -- which may not be such a good strategy for Redmond.3/18/2010 5:00:00 AM By: Ian Paul
Windows Phone 7 Series will not come with cut-and-paste functionality, according to a wide number of reports citing information Microsoft reportedly revealed during a Q & A session at its MIX10 conference late Tuesday. Microsoft believes that people don't need copy-and-paste on their phones, according to Engadget. Instead, Microsoft will offer functionality the company believes people actually want instead of cut-and-paste. For example, the new Microsoft handsets will identify addresses and phone numbers, and you will reportedly be able to send this information to different applications such as the phone or your contacts manager.
This is only the latest feature that Microsoft has pulled from the Apple playbook. You may recall that the original iPhone didn't ship with copy-and-paste either, and was only added to iPhone devices with the introduction of iPhone OS 3.0.
Come to think of it, there are a lot of parallels--too many some might argue--between Windows Phone 7 and the iPhone. Let's take a look at the top 5 ways Microsoft has taken cues from the iPhone, and why that may or may not be such a good strategy for Redmond.
Flash Coyness
When the iPhone first launched, it came without Adobe Flash capabilities, meaning it was severely limited when it came to displaying online video and animation. In early 2008, Apple CEO Steve Jobs quashed any hopes for Flash on the iPhone by calling the browser plug-in "too slow to be useful." Ever since then, there have been many rumors and debates over Flash on the iPhone, but Adobe's animation capabilities still aren't available to iPhone users.
Microsoft's stance on Flash is a little less harsh than Apple's. Instead of disqualifying Flash for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has said he has "no objection" to seeing Flash on Microsoft's new mobile platform.
Adobe has already started working on a version of Flash for Windows Phone 7; however, there's one little snag to Adobe's plans: Windows Phone 7 third-party apps will be based on Microsoft's Flash competitor, Silverlight. Since that's the case, I have to wonder how interested Microsoft really is in seeing Flash on its devices.
Whether you like it or not, Flash is the dominant platform for online video, but once again we may see a number of mainstream mobile handsets that can't truly access the full Web. The coming HTML 5 Web browsing standard is supposed include a new video capability to replace Flash, but HTML 5 video is still being tested by video sites like YouTube and is not in widespread use. For now, Flash rules the Web, and should really be a standard part of mobile device capability.
Page Navigation 1) Microsoft ripping off the iPhone too much? - Page 12) Apple may go after Microsoft over multitouch patent. - Page 2
3) Hardware manufacturers given strict guidelines to follow. - Page 3
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