In windows XP, microsoft learned their users accepted some abuse,e.g locked theme engine, plastic default theme, DRM. There were complaints, but users took it because where else to go? And to be honest, XP was still an upgrade coming from 98 and 2000 was not available for end users.
Vista was an universally loathed disaster, but users took it because where else to go?
Windows 7 was better, but still an UI downgrade. Users took it because where else to go?
Windows 8, the your-computer-is-now-a-tablet edition. Users took it, where else to go?
Windows 10, forced on user PCs, universally loathed. Still an user experience downgrade, but users took it because where else to go? And after a few years, memory of old versions faded enough that some people actually believed win10 was any good.
Windows 11, ad ridden malware by any definition from 10 years ago. Users will take it, because where else to go.
Microsoft leadership is not utterly stupid. They know users will take the next windows, whatever it does. Notice how every version gets more bold in the abuse. They expect your complaints. They are even polite enough not to laugh at the whole thing until they are in their own ingroup.
I am speaking user experience here, there was some windows tech advancement in the last 20 years. And I know how availability of OS, software and drivers means tou have to upgrade if you want to stay with Windows.
Even so, I never thought the whole world would go from a mostly competitive software ecosystem to stockholm syndrome from 1 abusive software vendor, but here we are. The sheer power of avoiding some short term pain no matter the long term cost is unbelievable.