I certainly don't want 'please log in with your Microsoft account!' all over the place, and I don't want the OS tracking my every move.
I really don't understand these last two arguments against Windows 10 in favor of older builds of Windows, and this is coming from a long time entrenched *nix beard who hasn't run Windows himself on a daily basis for over a decade and a half.
You do realize and understand that all the "tracking" and telemetry stuff in Windows 10 was
backported to Windows 7/8 nearly two years ago, right?
All of it. Every last bit. The only difference is, I actually find it easier to properly locate and disable everything able to be disabled in Windows 10, because it's not as hidden away (in fact, the quickest and easiest way is to just disable most of it during initial account setup)... but somehow being more transparent and accessible about these settings is bad and evil. How's the old saying go... out of sight, out of mind?
Also, the account login stuff is optional, including with the system accounts. I'd heard so many horrible complaints about it from others, I was expecting the worst... then I experimented around with it. It's amazing how easy it is to avoid Microsoft accounts across the board on software and the user account if you
just read during setup. You don't even need an MS account to install free software from their app store.
If you're that concerned about getting bleeding edge updates, there's even ways to postpone them. Easier still in the Pro builds, but it's always suggested to go Pro over Home with Windows anyway. The advertising also isn't hard to cripple after initial install.
As for complaints about UI incongruity, Windows has had that going back to well before everyone's precious Windows 2000 (and you can thank the legacy of OS/2 for some of that)... and if you think it's jarring in Win 10, you clearly haven't ever had to use a Linux desktop with apps installed using GTK, Qt/KDE, Java, XUL, Tk, Motif, and Xaw widget toolkits in the same environment - and that's not even factoring the applications put out by programmers
even within the same toolkits who don't know Fitts's Law from their elbow. Things have gotten better over the years, but
dang. Heck, not even OSX is immune to inconsistent UIs.
I've deeply disliked Windows for a long time, and I'm a very strong privacy and consumer advocate (as my years here on this forum leave considerable record toward) as well as a strong F/OSS booster primarily for the speech over beer reasons... but Win 10 is the first version of Windows that I haven't just absolutely loathed out of the box since Windows 2000. Stuff just
works... and when combined with Ninite, is surprisingly quick and easy to set up and configure.
I still run Ubuntu myself, and I'll readily admit that I'm one of the few weirdos that actually liked the Unity desktop, so feel free to discredit me on that opinion alone... but Win10 isn't near as bad as people make it out to be if you just read a little bit during setup, be less afraid of change, and just give it a chance. Gronnie isn't wrong.