You disagree with the OED here. The OED says that making changes to an established product is innovation.
Is it accidental that you truncate your quote by leaving off the actual innovation?: "Make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products". And your second point clearly proves you didn't actually read the OED dictionary entry in its context. If you look at it (go ahead, I won't tell), you'll find that the phrase you're latching on to is actually an example of the use of the word in an external context, not part of the definition. The OED call this an "illustrative quotation". Whomever OED is quoting is using the second phrase in contrast to the first, which uses "innovate" in its correct literal meaning.
The grievous deficiencies in Slashdot's ability to cleanly transfer markup in quoted material is largely to blame. Also to blame is my desire to preserve all info rather than editing to prove my point (something evidently not everyone shares), and a foolish hope that people would study source material for themselves.
Innovation requires actual novelty. Anything else is hype and hucksterism.