The problem is linux is palatable there are many distros that are prebuilt to run like a Mac or windows they just have no way of marketing like Microsoft or apple.

that is because of the Open source licences. If they were able to sell their product do you think linux would be as far behind as it is today?

If those thousands of companies that use linux every single day had to pay a sub fee instead of measily (tax writeoff)donations do you think think XZ would have been hacked? If they could compete in the capitalist race would they be this far behind? IMO no and the open source license is a blessing and a curse

I agree both windows and Mac were once great viable OSes now they are just an advertising machine with apps

linux distros have been held back not by those companies specifically but with how licensing works its really fucked and sort of development

a company telling me that my perfectly working hardware is not viable for their new OS and not giving me an option with security updates is a boogieman IMO