Let me share my opinion too as a long-time AC user and and an AC teacher.
First -
You cannot learn AC by yourself! This is impossible! You cannot learn 3DSMax, SolidWorks, Allplan or even Photoshop either! You have to attend a proper course to learn the basics! It is possible to learn some Autocad alone, but it is an application that hasn't changed since year 2000! And still most of its users know only 50% of it! It takes my students a whose semester at the university to get acquainted with AC and another semester to learn its full modelling capacity!
You cannot expect all the applications to look the same! If they look the same they are probably the same! I want different applications! I remember the horrible UI of Allplan several years ago, when I had to learn it - imagine all the applications looked this way?
I think one of the best features of AC are his icons and buttons! They are simple and (mostly) monochromatic! I am sick of these colour-3D-icq-like icons most applications tend to have these days! And what really horrifies me is the MSOffice Assistant!
With all this said, I have to agree to your strongest criticism -
AC is becoming an overcomplicated, difficult-to-work-with and not-willing-to-change application!
It reminds of the time of Autocad12, when it was the absolute ruler and maintained its god-like status!
When I wanted to work in 3D, they said: Install AME module!
When I wanted to write like in Word, the said: It is not possible, you have to use only Autocad fonts with Styles!
When I wanted simple shading of the 3D model, they said: Go to 3dsStudio!
When I wanted the cursor to change with the snap, they said: You have to know in advance where you will snap and work more carefully !
When I wanted walls and doors they said:This is impossible!
Then came Archicad and it was possible! Simple and elegant!
Now AC is becoming more and more like Autocad of these years!
If it continues this way, sooner or later a brand new application will blow it away and send it in history!