When making such a major change its hard to know if people don't like it simply because "its not like it used to be" or if it really isn't good. Only way to distinguish between those two is to wait.
I still see people today who configure windows explorer to show the menu bar, this was removed (default to hidden) in windows vista and there's basically nothing on that menu that can't be done in fewer mouse clicks elsewhere. These people don't even use the menu themselves, they are just used to seeing it there.
And every single piece of that news started under Ballmer's tenure. The new guy has been there < 60 days. The stuff they're announcing now was started months if not years ago.
Microsoft has nearly 100,000 employees. The company moves at a glacial pace, so changes like this that might seem small to you, will actually take quite some time.
So far every single piece of news since Ballmer's abdication has shown clue.