the biggest reason why windows "wins" is that it comes preinstalled on anything from high end alienware to low end cheap stuff from some third shift out of china.

and the brick and mortar stores love this, as they can then sell third party boxes, like symantec's (that thanks to taking payment for updates after the first year, can be resold. Yep i have seen it happen).

Basically the whole thing hinges on "consumer" being the word we have been trained to use on ourselves. I cant speak for anyone else, but to be that word invoke a image of a baby bird in the nest, stretch its neck towards mama corp.