[SmokingJoe]

I often wonder what Robbie Bach (The guy that runs Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division) is smoking. How on earth can you launch a new smartphone OS, a full 3 years after the iPhone, and still not have cut and paste, full multitasking or Flash? Apple may be able to get away with it, because they have the buzz right now, but then if you want to come from behind and overtake the guys that are ahead of you in market share, you gotta give consumers something extra to make them switch or at least try your product, especially the features that are lacking in the iPhone like cut and paste and Flash.

[Goldsborough]

For years, people have accused Microsoft of being an imitator, rather than innovator. Finally there is evidence:

Finally? LOL. M$ has been shamelessly ripping off Apple since the beginning of Windows.

[ctdonath2]

Re: limited multitasking

“Multitasking” is a very broad term. Problem is there isn’t a good solution to giving applications the power to run in the background without them, individually or cumulatively, chewing up so much CPU time as to adversely affect the dominant app the user is focused on. With palmtop computers, there isn’t enough horsepower to cope with the competing demands.

It’s one thing for Twitter to run a quick efficient check for updates, it’s another for a poorly-implemented self-important app to (say) constantly process video even when not in “on top” or “have focus”.

If M$ is cutting multitasking on the palmtop, it’s not just a “me-too” downgrade (?!), it’s because it’s the only way to keep apps well-behaved regarding minimal resources.

[RightOnline]

Probably showing my ignorance here, but wouldn’t MS use Silverlight vs. Flash?

[scott7278]

How on earth can you launch a new smartphone OS, a full 3 years after the iPhone, and still not have cut and paste, full multitasking or Flash?

Especially since my HTC device running version 6.5 has all three of those capabilities. I won't go backwards - I'll simply switch to Android when it's time to upgrade. They might not have Flash capability, but some new standards are arising that will make that point moot.

I use mine as a computer, and can't lose the cut-and-paste or multitasking especially.