Yep, hoods are a pain. The machined aluminium hood for my 75mm f/1.8 is damn-near $100.
The PDF manual is much better than the printed starter guide, and covers all features, some in detail. I have it downloaded to my iPad and aspect ratio is perfect to read like a book.
I have big mitts too, and while the buttons are small, I've learned to navigate them in a few days of use in the dark. The only one I would like to see a little better is the NSEW multi-function switch. The switch petals could be deeper, letting you feel individual ones more easily. The other thing that annoys the crap out of me is the position of the power switch. Right at the bottom where the 5D-II's was. I really dislike it here, and wish they'd moved it up top somewhere. I guess that the front of the shutter button is out of bounds because of the sub-dial surrounding it, and the fact that the grip would interfere when mounted. It's no bogie, and certainly not a deal breaker.
One thing I'm getting to love is the EVF. Having it display EV in real time is brilliant. It makes selecting appropriate aperture or shutter speed so quick in manual mode.
I've made up a rubylith filter which slides over the monitor and is gripped by folds around the side of the monitor pane. Works fantastically at the scope.
Are you looking at any other lenses?