What?!!
There's not a single thing confusing about iOS 5, iCloud, iMessage or Newsstand. It can't be any easier than what it currently is. Please, tell me, what don't you understand about any of the aforementioned features? It's so user-friendly, so intuitive that even kids with Down syndrome could grasp it. I'm dead serious.
This is a pretty bold statement - as someone who is pretty technical, and finally getting it after a few days, I definitely cannot agree to this.
1. iMessage - Yes, we all know the green vs. blue button and it's something you'd learn if you read the forums. However, the number of times I've had to explain to my friends on what to look for to see if it's iMessage vs. SMS has been a lot. Keep in mind, many people in the wild upgrade without obsessing over the announcements or going to Apple.com to read the "what's new" sections.
2. iCloud - Coming from MobileMe where we had iDisk, keychain syncing and photo galleries, iWeb, etc., iCloud was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be more like iDisk, but I am totally off here. In the end, I do like the service and the convenience of Photostream but unfortunately since I like Snow Leopard over Lion, I won't be taking full advantage of it via iPhoto. On a separate note, it is weird that iPhoto Photostream on OSX requires 10.7.2 whereas Contacts, Calendar, and other stuff does not require 10.7.2 to function.
3. My friends were excited to upgrade to iOS 5, but they didn't even realize you could swipe down to see the Notification Center.
4. Taking the time to organize the new alert settings for each individual app is not really intuitive at all. I only get it cause I just did the same exercise locking down my Facebook profile in preparation for the new Timeline view. At least with Facebook, when they change a layout on the web and in their app, they use large bubbles to notify you where to go to change settings and what to press to do what. Apple could certainly do a better job of including tutorials within the apps and iOS 5.
While I'm personally not having a problem with it and love the changes, I also have been on this forum browsing this past week learning of issues, figuring out how to access certain things and trying to figure out what is what. Yes, kids can figure it out, but it's not as easy for non-enthusiasts or the general public who just follow along the software makers assuming they know what's best for them. If it really were so simple that everyone can figure out, there wouldn't be 10,000 people browsing the iPhone and iOS 5 forums trying to figure out their issues.