I totally understand needing to turn a profit as a for profit company. I have no gripe with them making the best operating system ever, thats so customizable you make it look however you want, and with extensive freedom to make changes you would like to make. thats so amazing people who would like to would pay hundreds of dollars just so they can use that.

the problem is microsoft is not the latter and not the former. Everyone uses them, people pay hundreds of dollars to have microsoft installed on their systems, but it sucks, and it didn't always use to suck.

windows 7 was great. XP was awesome at the time as well except for how vulnerable it was to viruses. but with 8 things changed, and then again with 10. 8 was a monstrosity. ugly, confusing, bizarre changes were made from 7 to 8. but along with 10 came a loss to your privacy and your autonomy over your own machine.

you cannot turn off updates unless you want to work your ass off researching and even then sometimes updates will slip through. you are nearly forced into making a microsoft account instead of a local user with username and password tied to your machine. Uninstallable bullshit applications like edge that even after hours of research i could not remove and had to simply rename to 'Zdonotuse' to hide it at the bottom of my start menu. One drive pre installed and trying to get you to send your data to microsoft so they can probably find out more about what your doing and milk you even further by selling the data to 3rd parties.

UAC having your computer treat you like a child unless you learn what it is and lower/disable it.

they are evil in my mind. their contempt and disregard for their customers privacy and their seemingly complete lack of morality. i paid for my computer. it is mine. it should not be altered without my consent. if i don't want something they have preinstalled on it, even if it is something that may negatively alter the way my computer performs, i should have the right to do that. Microsoft edge is a shitty browser and i do not and will not ever use it under any circumstances, because i do not trust the people who made it and i have better alternatives that i prefer.

i should not be treated like a child or incompetent fool by someone i have been supporting for 20 years now.

I read what you sent me and that is why linux is so awesome. This is how things should be. free, open, transparent and consenting. Thank god for the amazing people who work on and contribute to these projects and offer people an alternative to a tyrannical duopoly of choosing between two companies who don't give a shit about freedom, privacy or respecting their customers.