I wrote primarily about the iPad. I don't know that it's ever been a problem on my iPod touch.

I think the difference between those is size. In my mind the touch defiantly has a top edge, all the time, it's determined by simoutaniously feeling the buttons and the case corners using one hand. That doesn't seem to apply with the iPad.

My iPad spends more time in various orientations. It all depends on the slack of the attached wires and how I'm making use of the smart cover to prop it up.

Whenever the hinge side is down, I want to use the buttons to drive the visual bargraph r or l. In that mode they run anti directional.

It really is one of those bits of detail that apple is typically noted for.

I am pretty pessimistic about this ever changing now.

I would send a note to apple about it, but I really don't know where to address it. No doubt there is a web form buried somewhere in apple.com.