In order to get the Windows Phone 7 OS out the door as quickly as possible, Microsoft left some fairly important features out of the RTM with the intention of adding them later.  And while the list of missing features is fairly long, none has garnered more attention than copy and paste.

But the wait for this particular functionality may not be as long as some thought.

Microsoft Project Marketing Groups Director Arpan Shah has just posted on his MSDN blog that the feature will be available in early 2011:

“Critics have commented on the lack of specific features like copy & paste and lack of 100s of thousands of applications. And while both are true, copy & paste will be available as an update in a matter of weeks (early 2011) and as for applications, it’s just a matter of time.”

If accurate, that’s great news.  Now, can they work on tethering?

Thanks, Pete, for the tip.