Much rather have scrollbars. Panning can't tell you how big the page you're looking at is.

In many cases, true (unless the panning is limited to one direction, as I'm working to do with jablet.net as much as possible). But I'm thinking that there could be a UI-based solution to that. Something that flashes briefly on the screen as the user pans... such as transparent arrows indicating off-screen extents...

But at least let us swap screen sides, w/ the scroll bar on the correct side!
They put the D-pad on the correct side!

I'm a lefty as well.

It's true lefties do adapt well to their surroundings (right handed world). I don't think I would like the scroll bars to the left. I think it would make things feel cramped a little bit. I find it easier to scroll with it to the right. One thing I have noticed over time has been typing, since I slant a little sometimes the keyboard will jump to other letters instead of the one I tapped, but it's all good.

Doing some things is a little slower since the stylus is held with the same hand that uses the menu buttons. I do enjoy having the buttons on the left though, I don't think they would feel correct being on the right.

Warning I don't have a device so a potentially dumb question;

Can the screen be rotated in the OS (from reading about FBReader it sounds like Hildon does not support this and applications have to do it themselves).

Having a rotate screen option would help most lefties.

EDIT fix typos

Hear hear! Zerojay's point about knowing position and length is important, so my suggestion (see #2564) is for a thin scroll indicator like on the RSS home applet with drag-to-scroll (hopefully kinetic like in MediaBox[1]). This frees up screen estate; makes scrolling easy with fingers or stylus; easy to do on a moving bus or train; intuitive.

Please vote and comment on #2564 if you agree ;-)

Cheers,

Andrew

[1] MediaBox has the best/smoothest implementation on Maemo I've tried.

Do left-handed people have trouble with the light sensor? I am right handed but am curious if you are having the same problem as me. I am constantly covering the sensor with my thumb while holding in my left hand (stylus in right). This causes the screen to fade in and out. I wish they had put the sensor along the top edge or something.

Cheers,
James

We (left-handers) must remember that for a long time we were persecuted. This thread dredged up OLD memories of the nuns at the first school I went to hitting my left hand with a wood ruler (1950's) when I attempted to use it for anything.

Light sensor - As a left hander I'm smart enough to work around it easily.
Scroll bars - DA*& this is Linux! Why can't we remap?
Screen re-orientation - See Scroll bars

Looks like the big guns are finally getting their discounts - hopefully this will work out soon.

I take no pity on the lefties--such tendencies should have been beaten out of you! (just joking! lighten up...)

What I want is a browser that lets me use in any orientation. What I most want is a portrait mode with the Nokia N800 at the top and the buttons at the bottom. Then my left thumb is at the scroll buttons. OOOH sorry, might look like an iphone, then, but for many blog pages it would be wide enough for the main articles and I wouldn't have to look at all the side bar ads.

Please??? Zerojay, Texrat, Gemniii42--you guys can do this can't you?

Damn my foolish right hand!