Do you mind laying out your specific concerns? I'm not the developer of news:yc but I use it every day and like it a lot, and I think the user experience is fine and have never felt hampered or awkward using it.
@holgersindbaek: I love the quick browsing and general feel of it. I have to admit though, I rarely exit the front page listing & links or use it for anything else than checking up on what's going on in the world.