I've heard explanations like this, yes, but I haven't seen any empirical evidence supporting the conclusion that flat interfaces are harder to use or learn or a

I've heard explanations like this, yes, but I haven't seen any empirical evidence supporting the conclusion that flat interfaces are harder to use or learn or are prone to misclicks etc. For my part I've used each version of Windows since 2.0, and have not noticed any decline in usability with the advent of the flat style in windows 8. Personally, I mildly prefer the current design language to the windows 2000 one (although I also consider that a local maximum), mostly due to the lack of visual noise. Personally, I have not experienced any of the usability frustrations evoked in this thread. As someone increasingly moving towards UI design though, I'm willing to check personal preferences against hard data.