[JeremyHerrman]

author here - fair point but I still think apple made the right call even if it leads to a bit of confusion at first.

If a digital knob needs to be turned several times (e.g. 1080º, common in DAWs), the "default" way to interact with a knob on a touchscreen - circling again and again - is slow and uncomfortable. Adding "slider" gestures on top of the default behavior is a nice way to perform many turns quickly and easily.

[wlesieutre]

Reminds me of the Steam Deck's touchpad for scrolling. Some people are very confused by the default behavior which seems to scroll up and down randomly when you swipe. But for people who used an iPod it makes perfect sense, and you can scroll continuously by moving your thumb in a circle, rather than scrolling in increments by swipe swipe swipe.

[eastbound]

Two fingers, leave one on the pad, keep swiping with the other?