I guess I might be the minority opinion.
#3 Pop-out. I agree. Remove it. However, I would like to remove the icons. Text only. Or if icons are required, put the text below the icon, and always show the text.
#4 UI. I am not a fan of the new flat UI. I prefer the UI, the way it was. I don't like something just because it is new.
As for the rest, I am way too new with ERA, only been using it for a few weeks.