I saw Star Trek last Saturday, and I have to agree, it was the best movie since Wrath Of Khan.
I handled the timeline changes fine, after all, time travel was second nature in Star Trek, and I was also a Dr. Who fan. The movie makers explained that they needed some room to grow, without having to recreate everything as it happened in the OS. They even deliberately had young Kirk drive the '60's Corvette off the cliff in an effort to symbolize the break from the 1960's series.
All in all, it was great fun, and hilarious to watch, and the book is even better. Not bad for a reboot or rebirth, as various people are calling it.
Brenda