Frankly I think this is a non issue for any serious professional. A proficient user will have learned the keyboard commands for actions and navigation and rare

Frankly I think this is a non issue for any serious professional. A proficient user will have learned the keyboard commands for actions and navigation and rarely if ever use the visual elements. This holds for any tool. Those who have yet to take this step, but are unhappy that the UI update is coming, should take this opportunity to step up their professionalism and master the tools of their trade. It will be well worth the investment. Negative space is perhaps the one thing I might worry about, since not all devices come with giant or high resolution screens. Otherwise I welcome the update, and understand that Jetbrains need to continue attracting new users, who are used to different UI then those of us who are older.