Earlier quoted context omitted.
My god how I would happily pay 5X per copy for a Windows that had all the shitty new garbage culled out (like ALL the Telemetry and forced updates).
It is $200-300 per license times 5x. It it worth $1000-$1500 for it?
For better or worse, Windows is a key part of my daily business and life in general, and I don't expect it to be free. I regularly use Windows applications that cost more than $1500 by themselves. If I wanted a free OS, there are other OSes for that, for which I would still have to pay with my time.
$1500 for a clean, advertising- and telemetry-free Windows LTSC license would be a bargain... if only they'd ask.