How to copy text from a web page on the iPhone:
- Tap-and-hold on the text.
- Markers appear. Drag them to the beginning and end.
- Tap Copy.
How to copy text from a web page on the Nokia N900:
- Drag with the stylus from outside the left edge of the screen to the middle. (Note: This doesn’t work with a finger.)
- A cursor icon appears. Tap it quickly, before it disappears.
- Drag with the stylus across the text to select.
- Tap the menu.
- Tap Copy. (Note: This menu item may randomly not appear. Try again.)
Note that on the N900, this only applies to the browser. For other applications, the way to copy is either different or not available. You may need to use cursor keys instead of the stylus. Sometimes you need to hold down Shift, sometimes not. Selecting text can make it an unreadable blob of single color.
My point? Apple got no end of grief for not having copy-and-paste on early iPhones. A trivial feature, it was called. Implementable in a few lines of code.
On the new Nokia flagship model, the same feature is inconsistent, haphazard and a pain to use. Sometimes it feels downright accidental that it works at all.
All features are trivial if you don’t care about doing a good job.