One must also account for the encounter with the Naradra and the fact that Starfleet would undoubtedly be reverse engineering everything they were able to get on it so as to come up with better defenses (granted they didn't see the ship again for 25 years and their data was limited). This may have lead to an alteration in the design, technology, and launch dates of their ships.

Plus you kinda get the feeling that the Enterprise was rushed into service for the Battle of Vulcan based on Pike's speech as they are preparing for departure.

I thought the film was really good, I was VERY skeptical about the fact that Abrams wasn't a trekkie/er, I felt the casting was very good, especially Bones. What I wonder about is I also bought Star Trek Coundown, the official preview comic book.

In the comic book Worf and a huge chunk of the Klingon Fleet are decimated, what does that do to the balance of power in our timeline?

considering that Cardassia was already decimated and Romulus ends up destroyed... very little. This is, of course, assuming we acknowledge the changes at all.

At this time, I believe that the Countdown series, while made to help support the movie, is not considered official canon. It's main goal was to spark interest in the upcoming film. There are discrepancies between the series and the film description of events.

I think the actor playing Bones did a really good job with the inflections in his lines as well.

Also a humorous scene toward the end, when all departments are reporting in for departure:

"Dilithium chambers at maximum, cap'n...GET DOWN FROM THERE!!!!" - Scotty

Iluvar is, of course, correct... only what's seen on screen is canon.

The tech manuals and other official publications are acceptable information if not contradicted by Canon...

And I, personally, reference the novels of CERTAIN authors so long as what's in them hasn't been contradicted by canon or the Tech Manuals and related publications.

A partial list of the authors that I consider sources for usable information:

Diane Duane
Diane Carey
Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Michael Jan Friedman
Keith R.A. DeCandido
Peter David
Mike Sussman
Greg Cox
J.M. Dillard
Michael A. Martin
Andy Mangels

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, but you'll notice, if you check which novels these authors have written, that they are the ones who've been allowed to write stories filling in gaps between series and films or to develop their own stories based on rarely seen or never seen characters. The last two I've included because the bulk of their work so far has been undoing the idiotic elements of "These Are The Voyages". And no, William Shatner is not on this list, though I have enjoyed his works and have several in hardback on my bookshelf. I have referenced elements of these books, but mostly that's computer access procedures, rather than major plot elements such as events and characters.

One tiny thing of movie vs TOS.

In TOS Pike and Kirk were about the same age.

In the movie not so much.

In TOS they stupidly had Mendez SAY Pike and Kirk were about the same age...

Pike was Captain of the Enterprise for 13 years (2251-2264). Kirk didn't even enter the Academy until 2250... there is no way that they were "about the same age."

well they looked an awful lot closer to the same age anyway

Pike aged gracefully.