Yep, I think you are right. The keyboard is probably greyed currently because it is the only one installed

I am reading the comment about the Threshold update posted regularly on Forbes, The Register, other sites. There is clearly a little bit of doubt about Microsoft out there. A little bit less trust than existed when everybody was loving XP or Windows 7.
But I am certain these issues will be resolved. Because if not, the huge worldwide Windows 7 fanbase are not going to budge!

My own POV has not changed. I will put 10 on a back up machine and I will take great interest in what Microsoft are up to.
But I won't put it on my main workhorse Laptop. Not yet anyway. In fact....I have realised that Windows 8.1 + Start 8 (a bargain at $4) is a combination which is slick, fast, easy to use, invisible.
A good Operating System should be "invisible" in everyday use.

But I am certain that Microsoft will listen and will bend a little. They have to. 1.5 Billion Windows users are depending on it.

Well it isn't pointless, is it! I have learned what Cortana is and what it does, which has enabled me to determine that in my case, it's a useless bit of fluff - but luckily, I won't have to use it. Phew! And that's an advance on the Windows 8 tiles, which I had to get rid of by using a third party application - so Microsoft do learn, albeit years later.

No, that wasn't a Cortana, it was a Copri! Never underestimate the power of MS. 🚗 🚓

That has been done to the letter, but as I said when you click the "Speech" it wont set to English UK, its "Stuck" on English (US), so no Cortana.

I'm currently evaluating W10 by dual booting with W7. Just came across a nice little trap which caused me a bit of grief.

I had wanted to have a look at the Photoshop app included in W10 but had resisted it because it demanded a Microsoft registration. OK, I already have Google and Apple ID's for other applications so I thought, what the heck.

I started the registration only to find the setup procedure had to be completed via an email-sent code. Only problem with this was that my email client was only on the W7 system! So after a lot of faffing about I finally got the registration completed. But when I rebooted into W10 I found that MS had kindly used my new ID to set up a lock screen which required the password - not helpful as I had not written this 12 alpha/numbers/symbols password down; it resided in a password-protected file on the W7 system. More faffing about ensued until I was able to get back into W10. Then I had to Google the means of removing the damned lock screen. Got there eventually but, oh! what a pantomine. Thanks, Microsoft! That'll endear me to W10.

A common type of story. Did we have all these problems from W3.1 to XP and W7?
(early Vista wasn't liked)

You think after 30 years, MS could do better.

Yep you're right, damn them rose tinted spectacles of mine.

At least there there was a Cortina, just need to find a TV detective who drove one now.

Yes! Regan and Carter, you're nicked, Son!

If you keep your passwords in a file and only have a mail client installed on one of your dual-boot partitions, how were you planning to get access to any website that required a password?

Again, we have people blaming Microsoft/Windows for problems of their own making, Yes, you need a Microsoft account to access the Store, but you don't need to associate that account with your Windows login; you can continue to use a local account.

They drove Granadas

Edit: Mostly, in my memory.

After extensive research, nice page here http://www.thesweeney.info/motors/motors.html

Those too, I checked.

But back to Windows before people complain I've derailed the thread. Haven't even used Cortana, find autocomplete to be a pain sometimes, when a phrase I enter matches a website I find myself transported there rather than the place I was actually looking for if I don't pay attention.

Wouldn't want my PC going all HAL on me.

Can't say I miss Win7 at all except for Aero, as long as MS don't suddenly start charging to rent it in the future, no one seems to be expecting a Windows 11, so..

MS have stated categorically they will not ever charge a fee for Windows 10. Thye have also stated that this will be the last version of Windows.

However, it is quite conceivable they might develop add-ons that require a premium purchase/lease.

They have also stated that this will be the last version of Windows.

In time, even Windows will be come obsolete and a new OS will develop eg a full holographic interface ala Agent's of Shield TV programme.

I have seen enough changes in my lifetime not to rule out anything provided it does not break the laws of physics (paraphrasing famous Oppenheimer quote).

The Aero theme could work as a add on for Windows 10, People would pay money to be able to switch between Windows 10 theme and Windows Aero theme so Microsoft should do it.

Agreed.

As an insider, many, many people requested a full Aero theme (Amongst other things). Microsoft seems to only listen to feedback that fits its own agenda.

Not missing it myself but apparently MS are going to return it at some stage. In the meantime google it and there are a couple of halfway house solutions out there.

The email client and password issue was only a temporary situation while I evaluated W10. Yes, using a local account was the solution to the lock screen problem, but I notice that Microsoft don't recommend this for security reasons.

What I objected to was the cavalier fashion in which the lock screen, with a password, was imposed.

Of course, they do not recommend a local account for security reasons. But if you are at home, risk is low.

You can still password protect a local account (to stop your "little (or even not so little) monkeys" playing with your account ).

Or even adult family members having a little snoop.

Hate people changing things so that is why I have a password, Otherwise you end up coming back to a untidy desktop.

I use an email client for my WEB BASED email, which the majority of email is these days. The simple answer therefore would have been to launch the browser either on the same PC or a smartphone, tablet etc. etc. thus eliminating the need to go back to W7 simply to get the email.

Aero is so passé, why do people struggle so much with change?

When Vista came out with Aero, the XP crowd were complaining it was over the top and too resource hungry. Some people just like to complain, or feel that they should have an infinite number of choices over every detail.

But it was over the top at the time, most computers those days did not have the power or the video card to cope with it.
When Windows 7 came out, computers was better, more powerful processors and even built in video chips was more powerful.
Even so people had a choice of cutting Aero out if they wanted to, so machines would run faster. Anyway, vista problem was not just Aero, it was a memory/cpu hogging piece of crap.

The flat look of windows 8.1 and ten is awful. Windows 7 looks was much better. I know someone that even put the XP look as classic, so it looked like windows 98, something you can not do on Vista and above.

These things are cosmetics and all down to personal taste. They have nothing to do with how good or bad an OS is. You may think W7 looked better others may disagree, neither would be right.
I don't think there has been an OS that people haven't tweaked the appearance with TP solutions. Some even turned off Aero in W7. Some people can never be satisfied, so I'm not seeing why MS should bother trying to please all....

They're only things most users ever see and use, so they are of critical importance.

It's like a surgeon making sure that the stitches are neat, they're the only bits the patient sees and the only bits the patient can judge.