I'm pretty conservative when it comes to this sort of software, and I have to admit that it's taken a while to get used to it, but please do check out the options under "My preferences," because many of the issues mentioned above can be addressed.
I prefer a less-cluttered look, so I have the left-hand column turned off (also beneficial as I'm still using an 800-wide display).
The number of posts per page and the number of topics per page for each forum area can also be customized.
