Forced updates are not in the best interest of the client side user. What if a w10 'update' (as many have stardockians have pointed out) makes another client side program unstable, or even trashes it?  Being able to roll back a win10 update is essential, absolutely essential.  Further, forcing the update as a condition to using other MS sites, etc is, IMHO, an attempt at creating a captive pool of users - on the way to creating a monopoly.  Finally, it is a sure fire way to reduce cross OS functionality, and third party software enhancements.  I'm no expert, but the 'feeling' I have, so far, is that this forced upgrading (with the threat that refusing the updates may lock user out of future access) smacks of a control program. Based on what I know so far, forced updates should be eliminated.  All updates should be optional, as thay are now.  And reset points must be preserved just in case an update nurfs my other software.

Plus one on one that, Microsoft is supposed to be winning hearts and minds but just can't stop being evil long enough for its changes to seem real.

This is worse than the behavior that resulted in IE being separated from the OS.  You'd think they'd learned from that experience, but maybe all those perps are gone.  Absolutely terrible decision to give the end-user no control whatsoever over updates.  And to essentially tie access to the MS store to acceptance of the EULA.

Just imagine Apple doing the same thing with iOS.

I wonder if System Restore functionality will be able to 'undo' an effed update.  There simply has to be some sort of failsafe mechanism somewhere in the OS.  Surely?

If system restore still functions the same way in the Win 10 RTM/Retail Edition, yes, updates may be able to be rolled back.  However, given present indications, doing so could invalidate the EULA and make one ineligible for future updates of importance/necessity.  Put bluntly, this enforced update scenario is a most unfortunate thing for end users that inevitably will come back to bite MS considerably more than it would like.  The end user backlash to being treated with such disregard and contempt is not something MS is prepared for.

Quite frankly, any respect and faith I had in MS evaporated with this wholesale disrespect of its end users.

On Win8.1 on my surface 2, I noticed that the restarts after downloading updates are now being forced. After 2-3 days or so of not restarting, the OS goes into retard mode and displays a prompt saying "your system will now restart" or some such. And then it restarts, and there's nothing you can do about it. Hoping Win10 isn't as dumb as that.

It is. 

Just did a swap with a niece who'd had some twit put a dev ver of 10 on her laptop and she was lost...as was the previous win info.

So now I'm the twit with a dev of 10 on a laptop.

I'll let you know how soon it's scraped off like the turd it is...and replaced with 7.

-We'll wait a LOOONG time before even considering going to W10.

The whole thing stinks

Sounds like yet another MS fiasco in the making.

Unfortunately, it is not another MS fiasco in the making.... sadly it's made... as in done and dusted.

Talk about shooting yerself in the foot.  This HAS to be the the biggest cock-up MS has ever made.

I thought Satya Nadella would breathe some fresh air into Microsoft after Ballmer near decimated it.

Sadly I was wrong.  With this regrettable innovation he has allowed it to take a few steps back... and then some.

Bill Gates must be turning in his.... oh wait... he's not.... er, turning in his hammock,

Yup, it seems there's only one good thing coming out of Redmond there days....  which 'd be the road to any place else.

Does anyone think all this nonsense will turn people off to Windows? I mean seriously...

Maybe not so much with ma and pa users, the average Joe, but power users and those who like/need to be in control will more likely reject Win 10 and either stick with Win 7/Win 8 or try various Linux distributions.  I'm not 100% committed either way at this point, but this is the first time I've thought seriously about not upgrading to the next edition of Windows.  I do have a spare machine I can try it out on, though, and then I can make a more informed decision as to whether I install it on my main rigs.

You would put you shirt-tail PC machine at risk?   

Nope!  Win !0 ain't ridin' in on my coat.... er, shirt tails.

A few years ago, though, I did pack away an AMD machine that was and still is in working order.  That was two moves ago and it wasn't needed at the new address, but now is a perfect time to get it out of moth balls and crank it up for a trial of Win 10.  It was quite a snappy machine in its day, and likely still is, so it'll likely suit Win 10's supposed speed improvements.