I realise that the Cognitive Toolkit is very low level stuff but it is really important for people just starting out that they get used to the MS stack for it to thrive (see what e.g. Arduino did for the uptake in Atmel microprocessors).

For comparison, Google have released a set of videos that get you started on Tensorflow for absolute beginners (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKxRvEZd3Mw&list=PLT6elRN3Aer7ncFlaCz8Zz-4B5cnsrOMt) and as a result for someone like me who is keen to try out some machine learning stuff is really compelling.

There is also the Tensorflow playground (see http://playground.tensorflow.org/) which allows for experimentation for beginners and experienced alike.

Compare this to the very academic and imposing docs on the Microsoft Tookit site - great for academics - not so great for other smart people who don't have a background in CS!