Talked to a very friendly X.com CSR today. He gave polished answers but said nothing that indictated this company's growing pains would end anytime soon.

Like many on this board, I'm keeping only a small amount in my X.com checking account and an even smaller amount in the money market.

Still, I'm not ready to jump ship or join in the anti-X.com hysteria.

My specific concern was that their software is buggy and that the new money-access restrictions are making this supposedly user-friendly bank incrementally less user-friendly.

I owed an amount less than $50 on my credit line, yet one of the screens said my minimum payment due was $50. Along those lines, the company's explanation of how it determines when payments are due is a bit taxing.

I'll continue to use X.com in small ways. But based on its early performance, I'll continue to use my local bank for checking.

One thing I will say on X.com's behalf: The debit card works nicely and they always post the rebates.

If only they'd work out the bugs . . .