I’m generally a pretty early adopter of new technologies, so as soon as I had the chance to download the official release of Lion, I took it. There are several neat, new features that Lion brings, and I was anxious to try them out. One of the new features I saw everyone talking and giving opinions about is the new default scrolling style. Apple seems to be putting iOS and OS X on a collision course, and so with Lion, they’ve reversed scrolling to be in line with how iOS handles it.
Many folks have had some complaints that it’s too hard to get used to, and that it doesn’t make sense on a trackpad the same way it makes sense on a mobile device. While I think these arguments have merit, and it will take a while for people to overcome the muscle memory of the way they used to scroll, I think this is actually a nice change. I saw several tweets from early adopters giving their opinion and saying they reverted back to the old scrolling style. In my opinion, you haven’t given a new feature enough time if you revert back only hours after you’ve started using it. I’ve given the new scrolling about a day now, and I’m really beginning to like it. It just makes sense physically with the way you interact with content on a page. I think I can confidently say that I’m sticking with it for the long haul.
So, Lion users, what do you think of the new scrolling feature?
Lee says
Love it. I’m just glad it matches my iPad and iPhone instead of some crazy new kind of scrolling.
Ian says
After about 2 days of use, I can safely say that I like it.
Two finger page flicking, however, is the worst.
Chase Livingston says
For sure, that’s really been messing me up switching months in iCal.
Lee says
I love the two finger page thing, especially in safari… it’s so much easier to go back through stuff
Will P says
I hate it. Inverted scrolling is fine when you are actually touching the content. However, when you are disconnected from the content, especially with a scroll wheel mouse, it makes no sense at all.
Chase Livingston says
I haven’t tried it with a mouse, so I can’t really speak to that, but I’m definitely liking it on the trackpad.
Brian Alexander says
Yea, a scroll wheel mouse is what I use about 90% of the time. I’ve reverted back.
Chase Livingston says
I’m definitely anxious to try it out with my magic mouse to see what that’s like. I think it’s similar enough to a touch screen that I won’t have any problems.
Brendan says
Like it. I’m thinking this is how it should have been from the beginning…if the desktop on the computer is a metaphor for a physical desktop, then Lion scrolling mimics moving a physical object.
I’m thankful though Apple included an easy way to revert, for the folks who don’t like it.
Rob Dale says
I love it. It took me a day or two to get used to it, but now I find myself getting frustrated using my wife’s Snow Leopard computer … her scrolling is backward! 🙂
Chase Livingston says
I bet! I haven’t used a Snow Leopard computer since upgrading, but I’m afraid next time I use one, it’ll completely mess me up.
Jon Manna says
i didn’t like it at all!!!! but after reading this post i feel guilty for giving up after just 3 hours… lets try it again!!!!
Chase Livingston says
I think you’ll find you might like it after a while! Let me know what you think.
Jon Manna says
Hey man! I am totally used to it now 🙂 haven’t switched back!!!!
Gamnell says
There’s sufficient abstraction between the screen and my mouse that either direction seems arbitrary. Without a touchscreen, the metaphor of physically moving a document is quite loose. The metaphor of a gesture indicating, “I want more of that direction,” seems about as strong. Since I also use jitouch to augment my magic mouse with rich gesture support, abstract gestures as commands are more consistent than a physical metaphor. I almost immediately reverted the scrolling setting after installing Lion and I’m content with that.
Chase Livingston says
I definitely understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly think the mouse may become more of a novelty for the select few who need it, and the trackpad will become the de facto input method for both laptops and desktops.
Curtis Simmons says
I didn’t like it and switched back to the way God and Gates intended. I understand that some try to say that it matches how touch screen devices work. That may be but then please explain why the two finger left/right swipe to switch between spaces is the opposite of left/right for the iPad?
Chase Livingston says
I don’t think it is opposite. You swipe left to move to the next space, coming in on the right, the same way you swipe to move to the next page of apps on iOS. Isn’t that how it works?
Curtis Simmons says
When using Wired magazine’s app I swipe from right to left to move forward one page.
Chase Livingston says
Right, I swipe from right to left to move a space to the right on Lion as well. It seems like the same gesture to me.
Jay Caruso says
Hate it.
Reverted back almost immediately.
Chase Livingston says
To each his own 😉
Josh Wagner says
For the folks growing up in the iDevice era, they will love it. More “indoctrination” into the iDevice concept. For the folks who used computers well before, it will be a pain. Comfort is a hard thing to leave.
I haven’t downloaded Lion yet, I gotta wait for my audio software to be compatible. I’m itching to check it out though.
Chase Livingston says
If I may, what audio software are you waiting on?
Brian Engle says
I’m still the only one I know that plays video games with inverted controls. I tried the Natural setting for about five minutes before I switched it back the way it was, but I think I’m gonna give it another go, especially if I ever end up with an iPad.
Michael Lukaszewski says
I reverted back to the old scrolling method after five minutes.
Some things are improvements that are worth the learning curve. But there’s no point getting used to putting my wallet in a different back pocket, trying to write left handed, or re-learning how to read from left to right.
A new scrolling method won’t save me time or improve productivity, so I’m sticking with what I know.
Chase Livingston says
There’s some great discussion going on here guys! I sort of figured that there would be some people for it, and some against it.
I must say, I just tried my magic mouse, and I think it really makes sense there as well. Especially love being able to switch spaces with two finger swipes!
Chandos says
I hated it at first and reverted, then decided to give it a go again. Everything was fine until I got into Final Cut. The inverse left and right scrolling is killing me!
Dave Shrein says
Used it for a few hours, hated it.
Chase Livingston says
I would honestly try to give it at least 24 hours, then make a decision. It was tough for me at first, but after using it for about a day I really got used to it.
slavik gurmeza says
At first I tried and it was awkward so i reverted back but then I turned it back on to see how it would be if i use it for a while… by the end of the day i was mostly use to it although I scrolled the old fashion way on occasion then remembered that it’s opposite… today I don’t even think about it, i scroll like I’v bin scrolling this wall all my life
Andrew says
At first I switched my settings back to traditional scrolling without thinking twice. I didn’t even want to attempt to get used to this newfangled system. But I was listening to The B&B Podcast and decided to take up Ben Brooks’ challenge: give it 3 weeks and then decide. I’ve switched back and I’m giving it a try.
James Cooper says
I’m not on Lion yet but using: http://pilotmoon.com/scrollreverser/ I can do it on SL! On my macmini I use a big magic trackpad rather than a mouse and after a day or two it actually feels more ‘natural’… I guess with a mouse it might be strange. Now to get some more ram from my mini so it handle Lion well! (8gb here we come)
Joshua Sherman says
That’s a really cool link James.
Joshua Sherman says
I love it using it on the trackpad. It seems to flow very naturally like using any iOS device. However, for some reason I can’t get that natural feeling to flow over to my Magic Mouse. I’m going to stick it out because this is obviously the direction Apple intends to go, and change isn’t always a bad thing.