Maybe you can look at it like this:
What you had before is now gone. Completely gone. Gnome 3 is different (that's the one where you got all your apps and stuff at the top left corner, and you got to go there to get to anything, or hit the windows key).
Fallback session is different, too! Its similar but instead of having an 'Administration' tab at top along with 'Places' and 'Applications', now there are just the two and most of the admin stuff you need, all of it really, are under applications.
So the fallback and new install are very different and also both are different from earlier versions.
Sorry to break it to you. I myself am pretty pissed about it. But my fallback session is almost as good, if only I could have buttons in my file browser so I could switch from icons to list, then I would be happy.
Anyway, I am going back to 10.04 because 11.10 is too unstable for me. I don't know what the future will bring. I heard Mint will provide a 'classic' desktop, that might be where I go finally.
Frankly I am surprised that Shuttlesworth would finally treat users just like Gates used to. And my reaction is pretty much the same, F you buddy. Just making a point.