This isn't strictly true as it does a LOT more than the other items you mention. Anything sent to the search bar or Cortana overhears is sent to Microsoft. They "reserve the right" to upload your calendar appointments, contacts and basically anything you actually write as well as anything the webcam captures (in fact disabling the webcam could be interpreted as a breach of the TOS if you wanted to be picky). They also reserve the right to search for and disable counterfeit hardware, software and media (i.e. illegally ripped MP3s, games and movies) without your knowledge or consent.
Whilst you CAN disable most of this it has been proved that Windows still sends it in some cases, much like MS claimed domain-connected computers wouldn't get the message to upgrade at all, yet it auto-downloaded and knocked multiple small businesses off their internet connections due to the massive downloads on multiple computers at once. Also, if you do disable it all there is absolutely nothing to stop MS sneaking an update to re-enable it all as they reserve the right to alter your settings without your consent and they have flat-out said they do not intend to actually tell you what the majority of updates actually do in future.
The peer-to-peer nature of the Windows updates (which you can turn off and get them direct from MS) has also proven insecure as researchers have already found ways of spoofing illegitimate updates as legitimate ones.
We have been evaluating it to see if we would allow it on our network at work and the answer would have been a very definite No if half of our dev team (who have MSDN Action Packs) hadn't just gone and installed it anyway without our knowledge whilst we were examining it. The consumer builds essentially have control of the computer and you, the owner of the hardware, are no longer able to control the OS as MS can override you whenever they want and take whatever they want. I will be interested to see what happens with the business editions as unless all of this is back-pedaled by a massive degree no business will touch it (or Server 2016).
Data trails are common as you say but nobody gives Facebook their front door keys and tells them to pop over with recording devices and help themselves to whatever property they feel they should have. Microsoft have not just crossed the line of data mining they have raced over it so hard they can't even see the line anymore.
I'm not saying W10 is perfect, far from it, some of the new stuff e.g. P2P updating, has potential issues and some of the privacy policy is rather vague.
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Privacy policies are worded broadly so as to avoid painting themselves into a corner. Companies always need to leave room for manoeuvre in their formal communications. Consider FD, they state that horizons is out "holiday 2015" because if they said "12 Dec 2015" some idiots would get all pitchforky if they were a day late.
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In some the cases you mentioned, of course a modern OS will upload your contacts, appointments, calendar etc. How else will you get notifications across multiple devices? It's like getting all in a flap because Gmail uploads all you emails to their servers. A email app that didn't upload your emails would be useless.
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The writing and typing bit has been explained as anonymous metrics to help improve the handwriting and typing. Now if they were ultra narrow in their policy and it turned out that some extra info was being uploaded or stored they'd be in trouble. Remember the Google map WiFi debacle, the data packets were accidentally picked up from people who weren't encrypting anyway. It was like getting mad at the litter collector because he collected some of the letters you were throwing out of your window.
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Reserving the right to detect and disable counterfeit and pirate hard and software has been explained in the context applying to the store apps, but even so isn't reserving the right to stop someone doing illegal things with your product uncontroversial? Would a gun manufacturer stating that they don't want their products being used for armed robberies be controversial? would an airline reserving the right to refuse boarding to drug smugglers be controversial?
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I'm not saying that some of the privacy issues aren't real, or that the policy doesn't need clarifying or changing, but the blanket "it's all spyware" is over the top tabloid style hyperbole.
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A little perspective and a balanced approach would be nice.
