How do I disable pinch zoom?

In System Preferences> Trackpad there are a couple of controls you might use. You should be able to find a checkbox that refers specifically to the type of action you are doing. Uncheck that. You could also try the "Ignore accidental trackpad input" as from what you write this may be more appropriate.

get the program: MultiClutch (free, but please donate as it really takes care of some serious issues).

With multiclutch you can add safari and reconfigure the pinch zoom shortcut to something irrelevant like Shift + alt + cmd + ^ and that will disable the accidental pinch zoom.

Also there is a plugin for Photoshop that disables accidental rotating! Again free, from Adobe.

Now all I need is the option to ignore if I rest my thumb on the trackpad where there used to be a click-area on previous MBP's...

Did we all miss something? To scroll, as the OP was describing, at least on my (earlier) MacBookPro, requires me to be pressing the Option key at the same time. Is that somehow being pressed or is it somehow active (which would be a reason for a return)?

Try scrolling with two fingers together, instead of apart...this should help anchor them together and prevent inadvertent zooming.

Wow. That's a fairly precipitous decision to make for the sake of a so-so browser. Why don't you just find another one that you like. No other Mac browsers that I use (Firefox, Camino, Opera, OmniWeb) behave this way.

The below site link had an option that work for me. Good luck.

http://cubeyellow.blogspot.com/2009/01/mac-book-pro-trackpad-zooming-and.html

Next to that Zoom feature there is an Options button. I cannot remember what is in there. From my brief experience with the 15" version, some of these effects take a bit of getting used to. You say that you were sure you were not touching the trackpad with your fingers: it does not have to be the fingers and even some proximity will sometimes provide input.

Do you by any chance also have a mouse attached. That might provide other input if you did.

OK. Thanks for the screenshot. I saw that earlier in the video on the Apple site. That looks as if the feature is on permanently. Frustrating if one does not like it. I know I turn off some features: should be an option.

I detest the pinch zooming, too. It blows my mind that the two-finger trackpad actions can't be disabled. Despite the fact that I've always been lukewarm about trackpads, the new ones on the macbooks are the best trackpads I've ever used. But the two-finger actions are intolerable. I'm waiting intently for a 3rd party utility to kill this "feature." Until then, I will continue carrying a mouse around.

I just loaded this plugin from Adobe. It works like a charm!

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4337