Got a Kindle this week, and am experiencing the now well-known pros and cons.

Yes, the paging buttons along the side represent a mystifying design choice that should never have passed the most rudimentary usability testing. But it's not hard to develop handling habits that don't scoot you unwillingly backwards and forwards through a book. Using the Kindle case helps.

Yes, the gray background makes it tough to read in low light -- wondrous though it is in bright sunlight. My wife discarded this thing instantly as "too dark." There should be background shade control. I would also like an optional back light for in-bed reading.

Yes, page-flipping is sluggish, but that's easy to get used to during normal reading. It does make it impossible to riffle through a book.

Yes, the on-screen UI is rudimentary, sometimes confusing, and apparently developed by interplanetary illiterates.

So. The Kindle doesn't close the deal for mainstream use. But it is perfect for frequent fliers like me, which seems to be the most enthusiastic user profile in the online reviews. I usually cannot carry even one book in my small, tightly packed carry-on, and I don't want to manage a larger bag in my two- and three-day weekly trips.

The most useful feature? The Kindle store lets you download a gratifyingly large chunk of its books, free of charge. Good money-saver there -- it has already dissuaded me from buying one book I was sure I wanted, the writing of which turned out to be dull as a plank.