Problems with Mavericks, maybe someone's found an answer

Are you interested in solving your Mac's problems, or do you just want to rant?

Additionally, it is not inappropriate to complain about actual problems that many people are having on the off chance that I'm the straw that breaks the camel's back for Apple.

That might have some merit if Apple actually paid attention to anything written here. Apple doesn't respond to anything here. We are all just users trying to help other users. So, any petulant whining is generally met with Snark. If you want to complain to Apple, do it here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Your loss of Java 7 in Eclipse is an Eclipse problem. You have to tell Eclipse where the jave home folder is located. I haven't used Eclipse in several years, so I can't remember how to tell it where to look, and maybe they've programmed it to find the libraries.

I haven't lost any ability to read any SD cards. But I don't have a Macbook. Are you using the built-in reader or a USB connected reader?

If you boot into Safe Mode, can you read the cards? http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564

If you want to solve your problems, specific information is required regarding your system, and it must be specifically from you. You'll also elicit more responses from knowledgeable Mac users if you refrain from general complaints. Apple doesn't participate here except in limited circumstances, so complaints posted to this site will go nowhere. They will dissuade qualified others from assisting you though.

You didn't provide much information to work with in your original post, so consider posting the results of EtreCheck, which will provide a summary of your system. It doesn't require an installation procedure and can be deleted when you're finished with it simply by dragging it to the Trash.

For excessive battery drain consider using the new Activity Monitor's Energy tab: OS X Mavericks: About Activity Monitor. EtreCheck may provide additional information regarding well-known power hogs or other notoriously ill-conceived software.

- Everything is slower.

Before investigating the potential for incompatible software, consider possibility of impending hard disk failure. For a cursory check boot OS X Recovery by holding ⌘ and r (two fingers) while you start your Mac. At the Mac OS X Utilities screen, select Disk Utility. Select your startup volume (usually named "Macintosh HD") and click the Repair Disk button. Describe any errors it reports in red. If Disk Utility reports "The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK" in green then you can be reasonably (though not completely) assured your hard disk is in good working order.

Create a temporary account to isolate user-specific problems: Isolating an issue by using another user account

Observe any performance differences after logging out of your usual account, and logging in to the temporary one. Delete the temporary account when you are finished with it.

Determine if you can read SD cards in Safe Mode:

Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components.

• Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
• You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
• Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
• Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
• To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.

System performance problems for reasons that cannot be isolated to any other cause justify an SMC reset. Be sure to read the procedure carefully and follow all the steps exactly as written, even if they seem inapplicable or trivial.

I don't know what Eclipse is or its relationship to Oracle's Java. Perhaps someone else does, or you can explain what it is and what it does. If you are requried to use Java be sure to obtain it directly from Oracle, and keep it updated.

1. Check the cycle count of the battery against the limit for your model. The battery may be due for replacement. If the power adapter is connected almost all the time, the battery may need replacing even though the cycle count is not too high.

2. Follow these instructions, or these for OS X 10.9 or later.

3. In the Energy Saver preference pane, uncheck the box marked

Enable Power Nap while on battery power

4. You can also try resetting the SMC.

5. Make sure your system is up to date in Software Update.

6. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service center.