It's actually an antipattern to have lots of unused stuff on the screen. It looks cluttered and is harder to use. (This is not from Microsoft, but is part of Ux design)

When you install VS, you're asked if you want to send usage info to Microsoft. You can opt out if you want. If you don't, Microsoft tracks all the toolbar buttons and menu options that you select. Based on that, they found lots of places that menus and toolbars could be simplified. For example, want to do a macro in VS2012? Nope.. you can't. Hardly anyone used them, so they were removed.

(Next paragraph is me talking, not what MS says)
Do you ever watch how users work with your programs? The kind of telemetry sent to MS is one way they watch how users work. What does this get us as users? It translates into fewer things to test and maintain. It should lead to more features that really count and a more stable product. Yes, I find VS2012 frustrating at times because things are different, but I'm learning where things are now. It isn't really that bad. Again, most people are complaining things were changed. It will be interesting to see how many Apple fan bois complain about the new iTunes. My bet is, almost none. Not because changes were made, but simply because people love to complain about changes when made by Microsoft, but changes by other software companies are just fine.


>Same for VS2012. Now why would they *not* change all the toolbar icons for the same exact functions you had in VS2010? It makes life an adventure to have to figure everything out again. We have lots of time for that bullsh1t.
>
>Go ahead Craig - give us the microsoft line about that too.