Yeah its annoying right? I too wish I could turn it  off.

I really doubt if these so called "features" are requested by professional people who have to work with InDesign on a daily basis. I'm a long time ID user and I just can't imagine that these features add to a more productive workflow in a prepress department for example.

If you have to work with ID sometimes, make a brochure once a month or something and like to play around with ID I think that some features might be "fun" though. But they don't add to a more productive workflow. I sure could work a lot faster with the old – pre ID CS5 – selection system, selecting objects below the current active object worked so much better. Etc etc. Anyway I was less frustrated after a days work with ID.

You might want to check your display options and if you have turned on the Content Grabber – which is another "handy feature":

Go to View > Extras > Show/Hide Content Grabber. Set it to Hide. (While here you also might want to disable those fun Live Corners.)

As for the slow screen redraw/performance when moving objects around or browsing pages you may want to check Interface settings in Preferences. Set the Hand Tool option to Greek Images and set the undermost option called Live Screen Drawing to Delayed.

Now you may want to adjust the Display Performance prefs. The default view setting I use is the "Typical" setting. I have a fairly fast system but I  have to use fairly modest display quality setting to get things to work smooth. Especially when working with books or catalogues which contain a lot of images and (technical) illustrations:

• Raster Images: Proxy
• Vector Graphics: High Res

          (When using a complicated Illustrator file like a map or a lot of tech drawings I set this to Proxy.)

• Transparancy: Medium Quality

Next check you Pages panel. Take a look at the Panel Options. What preview size do you use? See if you  have it set to Medium or Large previews and if you have Show Thumbnails enabled. Below, check if Transparancy is enabled and turn it off.

OK, thanks Studio 57NL, I found the solution to all the annoying problems in CS5.5.: I went back to CS4. And I realised, there is really nothing I am missing, except all the unnecessary new "features" and bugs. I am so glad I do not have to fight again with:

- Background PDF export status, which is not really "background" but hidden in a palette I have to dig up every time.

- Border around several choosen objects which distracts me always so much, I dont see anymore if all objects I need are really choosen.

- Choosing an image sometimes choose content instead of frame, without any logic.

- Grouping only works when it wants to

- Editing path points always starts with all points choosen

- slow, even whit lowest display quality settings

just naming the first ones that come in mind.

So I stick with CS4 and I am done with updating for the next decades, anyway since the new price politics make it all even more expensive as it already was.

Yes Bob, you are a professional. But considering your portfolio – with all respect – you are not quite the professional I am talking about. I was talking about the guys that have to work with ID day in day out and get things done. The guys who load up the prepress machines and make the plates so that the offset printers can keep running. A lot of ID features are there for the enthusiasts like yourself, who create a brochure or setup a letterhead every now and then.