Windows 7 did get a majority of the Windows market.
Windows 10 will get a majority of the Windows market. In fact, in some areas -- the USA and the UK, for example -- Windows 10 overtook Windows 7 late last year, on StatCounter's numbers.
I don't think moving people from one version of Windows to another counts as an increase in market share.
And since they gave away a free upgrade for the life of the device, at a considerable cost in terms of servers and bandwidth, it wasn't profiteering either.
And since they gave away a free upgrade for the life of the device, at a considerable cost in terms of servers and bandwidth, it wasn't profiteering either.
Pro tip: when a for-profit company does something that appears to be uncharacteristically altruistic...
...Aw, heck, you know what? Never mind. Enjoy the garden.
There were advantages for users and advantages for Microsoft. Both sides won.
As for your "garden", anybody can build their own Windows PC and sell it, without restriction. Anybody can write Windows software, and sell it. Anybody can use a Windows PC and software for any purpose they choose.
If you want to attack people for restrictions, you can find far more of them in other parts of the tech world.
Windows 10 will get a majority of the Windows market. In fact, in some areas -- the USA and the UK, for example -- Windows 10 overtook Windows 7 late last year, on StatCounter's numbers.