Two major reasons Google added this new scrollbar:
1. Stop "jumping document width madness". With the OS scrollbar (on windows at least) the document would shrink with the scrollbar width when its length starts requiring a scrollbar.
Collapsing/Expanding a thread which makes the document shorter/longer than its view space will thus shift all centered designs right/left.
2. Does not take space. The scrollbar is drawn NO TOP of page elements. It does not occupy its own dedicated space.
Even worse were always-present scrollbars even when having nothing to scroll) as misguided attempts to solve problem 1.
The default behavior of most apps is to not show scrollbars unless there's scrollable content. So it would be inconsistent to have a web browser behave differently.
The scrollbars are ALWAS there. Even when not needed. Taking up valuable screen real estate. Just for the eventuality that they will be necessary. In the future.
Maybe not misguided, but not an ideal solution either. Google's seems better.
one possible solution is the one Mozilla Bespin went with where there's a hovering translucent scroll bar which varies in opacity depending on whether you're hovered over it.
MADNESS!!!! A context sensitive UI element that only appears when you want it to and doesn't clutter up the visual space when you don't need it? INSANITY!!!
This is a keen observation. Google's solution to this problem would be tolerable if the scrollbar managed to keep up with the simple act of scrolling. Instead it makes the entire app feel about 50% slower...like it's trying to calculate primes or fold proteins in the background or something.
1. Stop "jumping document width madness". With the OS scrollbar (on windows at least) the document would shrink with the scrollbar width when its length starts requiring a scrollbar.
Collapsing/Expanding a thread which makes the document shorter/longer than its view space will thus shift all centered designs right/left.
2. Does not take space. The scrollbar is drawn NO TOP of page elements. It does not occupy its own dedicated space.
Even worse were always-present scrollbars even when having nothing to scroll) as misguided attempts to solve problem 1.
I for one like this solution.