I've been in this industry for a very long time and I have heard first-hand or read similar stories about Microsoft's mentality. This has never been a company that has consumers' best interests at heart. Never.

Thing is, though, there's a point beyond which great success really does come with a certain amount of responsibility. No, not "it should come with". IT DOES. If said company does not at least TRY to be fair towards the people that led it to such success - within all multinational corporation rules, but still - then it's a company that deserves bashing at every turn.

Almost every tech company in the world deserves a bashing at the moment. I am not sure there's a single one that doesn't. But Microsoft is a special case because Windows is a platform the world literally depends on to get things done. A company just can't be allowed to abuse that position of strength. Simple as that.