Just to make something clear: they remove "remaining time" and not remaining percentage.
In any case, this battery fiasco is not nice, especially concerning a product that earned its initial fame on few but distinctive things, one of which was the battery.
> Many of you have asked for more control over your data, a greater understanding of how data is collected, and the benefits this brings for a more personalized experience.
IMO, and a bit more general, just the fact that this is a necessity, a constant complain made by users, shows that certain things need to be changed. We should be having a discussion on "how much control over my data does software X has" and not "how much control I have over my data which software X has".
In any case, just being able to see what some software/service/company knows about me is a step towards a good direction, no matter in which camp you belong (companies are the devil vs who cares what they know, I am not doing anything wrong).
PS:
> Third, we’ve further reduced the data collected at the Basic level. This includes data that is vital to the operation of Windows.
Vital? Vital is a strong word. I would like to see what they mean by vital.
Though I might agree with your general conclusion, saying that the reactions you do see on reddit and HN "don't have any basis in reality" by using your, significantly smaller, closed circle of people with whom you interacted as comparison sounds wrong.
You have the experience of your personal circle and the experience of reading online critiques and comments - they both suffer from the same "go with the flow" disadvantages, yet the second one is possibly much larger, diverse and informed.
In any case, this battery fiasco is not nice, especially concerning a product that earned its initial fame on few but distinctive things, one of which was the battery.