[DoofusOfDeath]

> I was trying to click-and-drag on a colleague's computer earlier and just couldn't manage it, it kept registering a double-click.

Not sure if this is your issue, but (at least) the new MBP has two levels of "clicking" on the touch pad. If you just press with a little force, so that no tangible "click" occurs, you get one behavior. If you push hard enough to feel a "click", you get different behavior.

Mentioning this because it drove me a little nuts until I figured it out.