2. We hear this story every time Apple releases a product, when Google updates Gmail, when Facebook gave us Newsfeed. An instant gut reaction to change is not indicative of long term success or failure. People "hating" the icons is meaningless - they havent even been released yet. Change is good, its what drives our ambitions forward. Don't survey people and let the results scare you into stagnating.
3. http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/graphic-design...
This quote is used out of context all the time. Please, I know what I want and so do most people around me. Say that people cannot predict their future and that's fine by me. But don't generalize that to your first line.