Oh...right all those cool FREE_VIDEO_CONVERTER_YOUTUBE_MP4_DOWNLOAD_FAST_FREE_GREEN_CARD.EXE applications...right....
Now days all the developer/engineer GUI apps are made OS X first, Linux second and maybe Windows.
"I download a lot of crap on my home Win computer and haven't had a virus once in the past 6 or 7 years. There are likely more Android viruses active now than Windows."
You being extremely lucky doesn't change statistics.
"If you don't give permission the action is not taken. Granted I am currently getting spammed to update my home computer from win 7 to 10 but it hasn't force installed on me. Likewise for automatic updates."
You only answered to the first point and still why would anyone change to machine where you either have to do crazy hackarounds and avoid critical updates in the future or become a slave?
"Which is what this new initiative is trying to fix."
Bringing a single tool to current version of Windows has nothing to do with the fact that they can still go down the Windows 8 road in the next version.