User setup for differences in preferences only

This may not be a common scenario, and that's probably why I can't find anything about it...

My partner and I share a new iMac with 10.8.2 installed. He hates my iCal notifications, shortcuts, and how I have the doc set up. Besides that though, we work together and share all of our files and folders. Does anyone know of a way to create two users on the same computer with the same home directory and different preferences? Or an app to switch between setup preferences within the same user?

Thanks!

It is usually not advisable to share accounts the way you describe. Even if you share files/folders - the personal settings of an account are made for 1 person. You are better off - setting up a file share area on the computer. Put everything you share in there - then have different logins. Fast user switching - takes no time to switch between users - and you have your partner will have different preferences. Just make a shared area where you put all your shared documents.

We've tried that and have one major problem - we often use lightroom, and lightroom libraries can't be opened from a network drive or folder, so simply using the shared folder won't work for us. any other suggestions?

Will Lightroom allow the library to be opened if it is stored in the "Shared" user folder that is already present on the Mac. You couldn't both access the library from different computers at the same time though AFAIK