Comments on: Which Way Is Up!?

By: robnonstop

robnonstop — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:11:44 +0000

Since SideTrack doesn’t work on newer machines and isn’t distributed anymore, try Smart Scroll instead. It has various scroll options including the inverted x and y axis.

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/13043/smart-scroll

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:16:25 +0000

I’m so glad the good folks at Cupertino are there to tell me how to think.

I’m sure with practice i could learn to walk down the stairs backwards too.

It wouldn’t make it natural though.

the whole point of an intuitive interface is that it does not need to be explained.

end of story.

By: Yola

Yola — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:15:48 +0000

I have the same problem. I just came here searching for a solution. I prefer the choice made on the iPhone and want to change my mbp to act the same way.

By: K'laamas

K'laamas — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:50:03 +0000

Neither way is right or wrong, just different. The Inverted Scrolling treats the iPod Touch like physical media. But others (like me) think of it as a “Digital Viewer”, and want to move our finger/thumb in the direction we want our VIEW to move. Is there ANY Setting or Application that can Uninvert the Scrolling on the iPod Touch???

By: random8r

random8r — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:58:13 +0000

Actually I have a lot of experience with the actual situation. The case in point is that the iPod Touch and iPhone (I have one of each) have DIRECT MANIPULATION because you’re dragging your finger across the screen. The trackpad, however, is indirect manipulation, in that you don’t drag your finger across the screen, you drag it across a pointing device. If you think about it, you’ll see Apple is currently correct. The other way is idiotic.

By: Kabe

Kabe — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:56:34 +0000

There is no *right* or *wrong*, and I guess that random8r has no experience with the actual situation.

It’s not that we’re getting confused about “what each is doing is slightly incorrect”.
This is about building consistent user habits, which do not require a constant change of our minds.

If the iPod builds the user habit of direct manipulation (dragging the page, not the control), then it’s a perfectly valid request to ask for the option to have direct manipulation in the MacBook Trackpad as well.

Kabe

By: random8r

random8r — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:01:24 +0000

This post is really wrong. The reason the iPod touch and iPhone behave the way they do is that you’re actually DIRECTLY touching the screen.

So, if you were DIRECTLY touching a piece of paper, flicking up WOULD move the page up.

But, using the MBP double-touch is INDIRECT, so it’st the equivalent of using a scroll-wheel on a mouse.

The reason you get confused is that your idea of what each is doing is slightly incorrect. You simply need to modify that idea slighly, and you won’t have any problems any more.

Change it in your mind.

By: Bryan M.

Bryan M. — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:23:25 +0000

Great, you were the first result on google when I searched for an answer moments ago. While tracking about Logic Studio 8, i noticed scrolling around was giving me a giant headache. Same headache that I get when I leave the sun visor down when driving at night (and I don’t realize it). Using the iphone definatly requires an invert on all other touch interfaces. Anyways, good stuff. I’m gonna download this immidiatly.

-B

By: random8r

random8r — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:37:30 +0000

Actually the UI isn’t inverted. In one instance (the mac laptops), the double-finger movement is to control the direction of the window scroll (akin to scrolling down the page by dragging the position indicator at the side of the page).

In the other instance, your fingers ARE the pointer, and the idea is you’re literally flicking the page.

One is made as an extension of an already-existing UI for computer users, the other is made a green-dream UI for non-computer-users.

It’s like the difference between a design decision made inside a city that has been planned from the ground up, versus a city that has naturally evolved over time.

By: Mathew

Mathew — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 08:41:48 +0000

I found myself doing the exact same thing. I love the way the iPod touch / iPhone scrolling behaves as any physical media would, and it definitely seemed odd moving back to the trackpad and having to force myself to scroll in the opposite direction.

Great post.

By: weisheng

weisheng — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 02:03:59 +0000

I get totally disorientated by the iPhone/touch scrolling. It’s not normal! Apple reverse it please!

By: Colin

Colin — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:57:28 +0000

Haha Nick!

I’ve used it before, just don’t use one regularly. I intend on getting an iPod touch soon and from what I’ve heard the two are similar minus a few features.

By: Nick Santilli

Nick Santilli — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:14:36 +0000

Colin – find a friend with an iPhone and bug him. :) Like I do….

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:49:23 +0000

Nick,

I had the exact same experience. It suddenly went away after a couple of weeks, I guess my body adjusted.

By: Colin

Colin — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:16:39 +0000

Not having an iPhone made it hard for me to picture what you guys were talking about. But after thinking about it in my head (and literally trying it on my trackpad) I think I agree: You should be allowed to customize it without a third party application.

By: Nick Santilli

Nick Santilli — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 23:03:24 +0000

LARick – Agreed, SideTrack is a fantastic utility. I haven’t used it since upgrading from my PowerBooks to my MacBook, as lots of good functionality is baked in (albeit, not nearly the power of sidetrack). but that’s good to know that it’s a feature now. May have to look back into that…