Got the email with the license. One failed dl using Firefox. I cancelled and started over. It downloaded successfully. File format is not backwards compatible but exporting from the File menu will allow exports to previous version formats.
I chose to have FTM 2014 make a copy of my working file and convert that to the new format as it loaded for the first time.
I chose to compact the database right away and it reduced the file size 31.87 %. I compact every day and never has the reduction been that large.
I started looking for the new features and found a new layout for the Plan workspace, a new display option for the People workspace. I then went to the Publish workspace looking for anything new and improved....nada. I didn't see anything different. I opened a few of the ones I normally use and didn't see any difference.
Time will tell.