OS X Lion Trackpad scrolling in spreadsheets, HELP !!!

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Found a big apparent flaw today in using Trackpad on new iMac, running either Exel or Numbers in OS X Lion. The Trackpad gesture is 2-finger stroke down or to the side to scroll rows or columns. Simple enough. But if your stroke is anything but perfectly true vertical or horizontal to the dimension of the Trackpad, even just a few degrees off, Mac scrolls in both rows and columns, as if you intended a diagonal stroke. This of course causes havoc in keeping an eye on the row or column your were working with. A workaround, though inadequate, is to highlight row or column before stroking, at least you still reasonably easy find it after your inevitably imperfect stroke, a bit more difficult if diagonaled all the way off the screen. Another workaround would be to permanently show scroll bars and disable Trackpad scroll, but System Preferences doesn't provide for disabling Trackpad scroll. I called apple Tech on this, they have no answer other than the scrolling algorithm is too sensitive, and there's no System Preference dealing with this. I asked if they knew of any Unix code or downloadable third-party tweak programs that might solve the problem, suggestions were sparse, so that's what I ask this Forum: does anyone know of tweaks that would allow a vertical stroke +- 20 degrees or so to produce just a vertical stroll, and a horizontal stroke +- 20 degrees or so to produce just a Horizontal scroll, anything in between being interpreted as a diagonal scroll to get to lower right quickly and efficiently? Apple's word processing program Pages has the ability to straighten an off-cant imported pic by pressing Shift as you drag the pics handles, snaps to perfectly horizontal or vertical, or 45 degrees in between. That sort of capability with the Trackpad in scrolling spreadsheet rows and columns would do the job, just hasn't been transplanted. Any suggestions? I'm in dire need, HELP !!!
 
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chas_m

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Why not just plug in a USB or BT mouse when using that program?

The truth of the matter is that trackpads aren't designed for things like spreadsheet cells. I don't mean to be glib but the Magic Trackpad simply isn't intended for high-accuracy uses, which is why the laser-mouse market continues to thrive even though for most general things trackpads are awesome.

You could pick up a wired USB mouse for maybe a buck at your local Goodwill store.
 
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Thanks, Chaz, kind of what I suspected based on my iMac use of trackpad in general, but but figured I'd get past that with more trackpad use. And at first blush, not much accuracy is required in spreadsheeting, just scrolling (assuming trackpad's fixable on that), data entry and reading. Now that you mention it, though, there is accuracy required in formula building, requires pin-point insertion in what can become very long/complex threads, no room for sloppiness there.

Thanks again for taking the time. I'll keep trolling for a trackpad scrolling fix. If one turns up, I'll then give close attention to the facts on accuracy.
 

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