If windows had an ad-riddled OEM version, and a Standard “clean” version that you could buy directly from Microsoft, I would consider windows again.
Not like there’s actually an incentive for them to do that, but I can dream.
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Not like there’s actually an incentive for them to do that, but I can dream.
You can buy a Visual Studio (formerly Technet/MSDN) subscription[0] which includes not just Windows clients but servers as well for ~USD$1200.
>I don't think its ridiculous to consider a hacker/developer edition in 2023.
Which (unless things have changed dramatically in the past few years) is exactly what such a subscription provides.
Such a subscription enables access for all current (and many old ones) products and, IIRC, these versions (unless changed from Technet/MSDN) are not consumer versions that allow you to "un-fuck" Windows and you'll have access (need to download ISOs, so storage will be necessary) to just about all of Microsoft's offerings.
Which, of course, can be used forever, although I'm guessing that a new subscription every five-ten years or so will update everything you may need.
[0] https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/pricing-details/
Edit: Fixed typo.