Doesn't really bother me. I suppose some Realms fans might be royally pissed, but most of the areas that got smashed up seem like the remote regions that were underused anyway. By making them messed up like this, you know unstable magic and terrible monsters, I think perhaps it gives a reason to put paragon and maybe even epic level adventures in those places were they wouldn't have worked as well before.
The smashing of Thay probably is related to the removal of spell schools. Weren't the Zulkirs all based on the old schools?
Ad Unther, I don't know how popular that area was, but from what I know, it was a copy and paste from real history area of the Realms.
Don't really know what to make of this new Netheril. The Bedine stuck out like a sore thumb (especially with more Arabian analogues down in Zakhara and that place just off the east edge of the map) anyway. I have no idea what these Shades are, but I gather it's something based on 3e developments. I also note that with Mystra gone, some of the influences that kept Netheril from recovering from its literal fall (ie Mystra rewriting the rules of magic so there'd be no more Karsus-style deicide) are gone as well.
As for the Sword Coast, Waterdeep, and Cormyr being largely unchanged, not surprising. That's where most players like to hang out anyway.
