I'm 100% in agreement with the article. I haven't upgraded from Mavericks for the very reasons he outlined - stark white UIs with no feedback. (Well that and the WIFI issues in Yosemite.)

As for skeuomorphism, look no further than the phone icon in iOS - it's a handset from a traditional 80s phone. If Apple designers were to take their flat minimalist mantra to the next level the icon would be a picture of a black rectangle representing an iPhone.