Microsoft Windows Phone 7 "NoDo" update ready... ish

By Richi Jennings. March 24, 2011.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 update -- "NoDo" -- is ready to download, with cut&paste, faster task switching, and more. Or, at least, it would be if your carrier had made it available yet. "Where’s my phone update?" I hear you cry. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers also look forward to Mango (WinPho 7.5).

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention Hallo? Coca-Cola? Warum ist meine rechte Hand auf meinen linken Arm befestigt?..
(MSFT)

Bill Ray guns for the news:

The long-awaited update improves searching in the Windows Marketplace, ... performance ... and finally allows the user to cut text ... and paste it. ... The updates started last night, but have been seeping out slowly ... presumably so that Microsoft can keep a careful eye on progress. ... But so far users seem ... just pleased to see the functionality arrive.
...
Given how rarely one wants to use cut and paste on a phone this is probably not a big deal. ... [But] the functionality [is] there when its needed. ... [The rollout is] being done slowly, so those few who have a Windows Phone 7 handset will need to be patient.

 
Lawrence Latif adds another aspect:

Microsoft has worked on improving the process to buy [big] applications ... using credit cards registered outside of the US. ... Xbox Live games on the WP7 Marketplace, products that Microsoft heavily promotes, typically [are too big today].
...
Some WP7 users will be wary ... given the mess that Microsoft made with its first WP7 update. ... They must be hoping that the Vole did more testing with one that makes significant changes to WP7.

But Mikko Torikka complains, "Crucial features are still missing":

There is still no multitasking ... no Flash support and no HTML5. ... The original iPhone OS didn’t have multitasking or cut and paste. ... That changed with the release of iOS 4.0 last year, which brought multitasking to the iPhone. ... Both Android and Palm’s WebOS launched with multitasking capabilities. Windows Phone 7 ... has no excuse.
...
The company is already working on version 7.5 of Windows Phone. Dubbed Mango, the next update is expected to come out later this year. Mango will include multitasking and Windows Explorer 9 with HTML5. ... It is also possible that Microsoft will save some features until Nokia starts to ship it’s first Windows Phones.

Meanwhile, Matthew Miller is feeling better:

I have been feeling pretty frustrated with Microsoft for their lack of specific details regarding the ... updates. That has now changed thanks to ... a great new online resource that gives you the status of the update for your WP7 device.
...
I am pretty happy with my Dell Venue Pro and HD7 ... but I would like to be better informed. ... Thus, this new site is MUCH appreciated.

Microsoft's Eric Hautala stops short of mea culpa:

I want to briefly explain where we are in the [update] process—and ... tell you about a new update-related resource we’ve created based on your feedback. ... When the update is available for your phone, you’ll get a message on the device letting you know. ... [We] deliver updates in batches, ramping up gradually [so] the process is as problem-free as possible.
...
[But] many of you want a better idea of when to expect your update. ... We’ve created a new online resource ... that provides some insight into ... where your phone is in the multi-stage update process. ... We’ll update the site once a week with the latest status changes.

 
Und Schließlich...
Hallo? Coca-Cola? Warum ist meine rechte Hand auf meinen linken Arm befestigt?
 
 
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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.

You can also read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.