If it's the lock screen ads, I have to say as ads go, I think they are actually the most unobtrusive ads I've ever seen. I actually just had to look up what they were, because I keep seeing them getting mentioned. Turns out, I have seen them, I've just ignored them every time, because when I'm looking to unlock my computer it's generally because I'm about to do something, and spending time futzing around with a small text overlay on the lock screen image isn't it.
So, I don't particularly feel like the lock screen ads are especially egregious. Though, I also got the free upgrade from Windows 8, so maybe that effects my opinion.
> forced updates
I am fully for this. We've seen what a world without forced updates looks like. The only reason the recent major DDOS attacks didn't have a bunch (or as many?) of windows PCs participating is because MS has gotten really serious about security, and making sure it's actually applied.
Also, there is a way to disable forced updating, and that's through a registry hack. You might think that's too complex, but I think that's the perfect level of complexity for what we are talking about. If someone isn't comfortable finding a specific location in the registry and manually changing a value, they definitely have no place determining whether their system should opt out of auto-updating.
10 has been an advance in every single aspect I can think of. What are you seeing as being ruined?