Please Ask one question per thread (FAQ) unless the questions are related. Lots of different questions in one post makes it less likely people will answer quickly and makes it difficult for other people to follow the thread or find useful information via searching.
Select some files and click the Rename button on the toolbar. It's between the Create Folder and Delete buttons, by default.
If the Simple Rename dialog opens, just click the Advance button at the bottom, as per the manual.
Opus remembers which one you used last and will display it again the next time you click the Rename button.
The Rename button on the default toolbar is the same as the one in the Customize - Commands tab and also the same as the File - File Commands - Rename item John mentioned in the default menus.
(You can also make buttons which always open the Simple or Advanced dialogs, regardless of the last one used, if you want to.)
I guess the problem is it doesn't tell you how to open the Simple Rename Dialog.
C++
There used to be one but so many people suggested things which were already possible (i.e. they really wanted help using existing features) and, conversely, asked for help doing things which were not possible (i.e. they really wanted to suggest a new feature) that we realised it was pointless and merged the two forums.
From the front page:
[ul][li]"User-run support community"
[/li]
[li]"Note: For official help or to make feature requests use the GPSoftware support page."[/li][/ul]
If you need an official answer or want something added to the database of feature requests, so it isn't lost in the thousands of forum threads, then you should contact GPSoftware directly rather than (or as well as) posting at the forum.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to talk about features here before contacting GPSoftware. You may find what you want is already possible or that discussing the idea first may flesh it out and mean it's more likely to be accepted by GPSoftware.
As for problems, raising them here may get you a faster/better response just because there are lots of people reading the forum who may have more ideas (or simply be awake in a differnet timezone). GPSoftware also join-in here at the forums when they have time so the forum is a good catch-all place to ask questions or talk about ideas. It's not the official way to contact GPSoftware, though.
Nothing has been announced so far. Free updates to version 9 still seem to be coming out every few weeks so, judging by past release cycles, version 10 is probably a while away.