This is how Android is, and isn't anything new.

 

software issue only. an app can easily take advantage of the accelerometer moving in any direction. an example is the bubble level app.

you don't see the option for landscape in the other direction because it makes more sense for the trackball/pad to be on your right side when in landscape.

 

My accelerometer is pretty slow and sometimes doesn't kick in when I move it to landscape mode. The phone in general is slow on certain apps and processes. Kind of annoying.

 

this is for a reason, when you are viewing a screen or picture they don't want it orientating around on every little move, they give it a second to be sure that is what you want. for example i believe there is a pre-loaded game called "teeter". you want to see your accelometer and stuff in action fire that game up from the app list.

 

I am not talking a few seconds. Sometimes 5-8 seconds and sometimes never and I need to "shake" it for it to work as well. Not a biggie but it would be nice for it to be a little speedier.

 

Go to menu -> Settings -> Sound & Display -> At the bottom, G-senor Calibration.

Re-calibrate the sensor and see if things don't improve for you.