@jai Re: re: Wish list - cut & paste
"how would you implement the "cut and paste" on a system with no keys and only finger input?
"first, you need to find a way of allowing the user to select a chunk of text. presumably, you'd put two fingers on the screen at the start of the first word, and drag the second finger to the end of the last word. that would highlight them."
You do it the way my old Newton 2100 did it, IIRC: Put your finger (stylus) at the start point, drag across and down to the end, then hit a handy "copy" icon. Go to where you want the copied item, tap the insert point and tap "paste".
Contextual menus mean you don't need to "<command>-keystroke" common functions
Personally, if Apple would simply make a device that had the functionality of my old Newton -- run multiple programs at once, "freeze" inactive programs to free-up memory, handwriting recognition (I had the late-model OS and am one of those that generally had quite good results with the HWR -- possibly because my normal style is a sort of "connected printing"), memory cards for storing data, etc. -- with the nice screen and wi-fi, I would be all over it. I'd even prefer something with a slightly larger physical screen than the current model (DAMN these fifty-mumble-year-old eyes! Zoom/squeeze/pan are fine, but they DO add extra steps.). Since I generally wear a jacket or such with large pockets I am not wedded to the idea that my gadget(s) MUST fit into a shirt-pocket.
But, then, I'm old-fashioned that way; I don't like concentrating everything down to one all-encompassing point of failure. I have a 'phone that I make calls on and a music player to... well... play music on. And if someone steals my player, I can still call the police. (And if someone steals my 'phone... well... at least I have music to relax me while I go down to the police station!<gr>) I would be more than happy to add a third item if it was a palmtop with the functionality and ease of use of OS X.