To be fair it's only being criticized heavily by Miata enthusiasts on sites like Miata.net or Jalopnik - those that want a pure sports car experience. They only

To be fair it's only being criticized heavily by Miata enthusiasts on sites like Miata.net or Jalopnik - those that want a pure sports car experience. They only account for a tiny fraction of the people who actually purchase the car. It's not really the idea of the infotainment system that's the problem, it's the implementation. As you said, the rear view mirror would have been better received by those who understand back up cameras will be mandated but still don't want a big "iPad" on the dash. As for Mazda's infotainment system - I believe it's the same system as used on the Mazda 3 and 6 so you can look reviews on those vehicles.