Re: Scrolling in Lion
Re: Scrolling in Lion
- Subject: Re: Scrolling in Lion
- From: Alex Zavatone <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:29:02 -0500
On Aug 10, 2011, at 7:20 PM, David Wignall wrote:
>
> On 11 Aug 2011, at 11:25 AM, Luther Fuller wrote:
>
>> On Aug 10, 2011, at 5:07 PM, David Wignall wrote:
>>
>>> FWIW scrolling is very easy using a trackpad; I have not used a scrollbar from the time I got my first MBP with such a trackpad. Along that line of thought, a 20 year old HIG was written for a mouse and much smaller screens.
>>
>> Yes. But ... If you read HIG you will find that the theme that runs thru the entire book is "Don't confuse, confound, annoy, irritate, inconvenience or screw the user".
>> This book ought to be required reading for anyone training to be anywhere near a computer.
>> (Perhaps Steve needs my copy. Apple seems to have lost theirs.)
>
> <tone_idle_conversation>
>
> One way to interpret that theme is 'don't change', which to a certain extent is the path Microsoft chose with Windows. Change for it's own sake is not worth the time but I would argue that a leap rather than a step is sometimes required, and I think this is a case in point. If you use a trackpad or, I imagine, a mouse with a scroll wheel then these new scrollbars are simply not an issue. I (ok, n of 1) can't actually recall the last time I went anywhere near a scrollbar (in Mac OS X, Win XP, Win 7 or [not strictly relevant] iOS) so this behavior does not 'confuse, confound, annoy, irritate, inconvenience or screw' me in any way. Given that, I suspect that Apple's studies would find me a fairly ordinary user.
I've got 3 of Apple's so called "magic mice". Right now, I'm back in 10.6.8 on a 17 inch MPB at 1920 x 1200. Lion's scroll bars are microscopic on this nearly 3K system.
See, the flaw is this. The finger's point of contact with the trackpad is a blob. It has a large intersection area with what is under it. Skinny scroll bars are no problem. The mouse has a 1 pixel contact point. Skinny scroll bars are Ill suited if the user is EVER to point and drag the scroll thumb.
Also, the scroll area is a viewport into the whole document. The cursor's insertion point is independent of the scroll position, until the insertion point is moved via keyboard or mouse or other input device.
Attempting to use the insertion point to overcome a flawed scrolling methodology, is a serious step back in usability.
Now, please pardon me, I must go kill some margaritas by digesting them.
> As another data point, my job IRL is as an applications trainer, mostly MS Office/Windows to a full range of user ability. Almost all of the people I train use the scroll wheel of the mouse. The power users use the keyboard. Three times in the last year I have had newer users ask why 'they' bother to put scrollbars on if there is no use to them.
>
> </tone_idle_conversation>
>
> --
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