Some of those things that you loved are actually still there. They have just been moved or disabled by default.
- Dashboard is still there and can be enabled as a space or an overlay (System Preferences > Mission Control).
- You still can zoom in on anything. I use ctrl+scroll (System Preferences > Accessibility > Zoom).
- The invert colors shortcut (cmd-opt-ctrl-8) is still there. (System Preferences > Keyboard > Accessibility).
Another feature I love that used to be easy to find but got buried in settings is the three-finger drag (now found in System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad > Trackpad Options...).
I question some of the changes in default settings too, but then I realize the defaults are most important for the non-power-users who can't or won't change them. I would also never want to store my Documents or Desktop contents in iCloud, but I can see why someone who doesn't understand the file system might.
- Dashboard is still there and can be enabled as a space or an overlay (System Preferences > Mission Control).
- You still can zoom in on anything. I use ctrl+scroll (System Preferences > Accessibility > Zoom).
- The invert colors shortcut (cmd-opt-ctrl-8) is still there. (System Preferences > Keyboard > Accessibility).
Another feature I love that used to be easy to find but got buried in settings is the three-finger drag (now found in System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad > Trackpad Options...).
I question some of the changes in default settings too, but then I realize the defaults are most important for the non-power-users who can't or won't change them. I would also never want to store my Documents or Desktop contents in iCloud, but I can see why someone who doesn't understand the file system might.