I think the OP is suggesting that Windows OS has been/is a loss leader for Microsoft. (Akin to Costco selling hot dogs for cheap) The Microsoft playbook _was_ "make windows accessible, then use it as a platform to up sell Office, Exchange, etc". Now with their shift and focus into the cloud and cloud subscriptions. All the users need is a web browser and a dumb terminal: they don't have to run windows anymore. Thus, Microsoft's investment in Windows and developing and **cough** _testing_ **cough** a platform that will never be profitable is only costing MS money. And in order to _try_ to gain some net profit from Windows, they're turning it into the GeoCities of ad-ridden Operating Systems.