Yeah... very true. I noticed some themes were slower than others. And yes, sometimes there is a black screen. It certainly is not made for speed at its current state.

But once I finish my theme, it should have everything laid out just like I want it.

I have found out how to use any widget on my device... it just took some hunting. None of the widgets work by default as you mentioned. It says something about legal matters.. . just means you have to spend more time setting it up. Like I said in the beginning, if you like tweaking and do not mind spending a lot of time, it might be worth it! lol Most probably are ok with simpler methods...