[maratd]

No, I would not say that.

Internet Explorer is the default on Windows because Microsoft makes it, not because it's the best option for a default.

Bash is the default because it's the best shell to be used as a default. Nobody is twisting the arm of any distribution, but they set it as the default anyway. There's a reason for that.

[kree10]

I think that reason is mostly inertia.

Also, because it's GNU. Just as IE is the Microsoft browser, bash is the GNU shell, and most Linux distributions are built around GNU userland.

But that's just Linux. The BSDs don't see bash as the best default, where it tends to only be available as an optional package.

[grogs]

Because it was at some point when the decision was made, for a few distributions.

How often is this decision re-evaluated?

...personally I just hit Ctrl+C again to reset my prompt.