"Bob I" wrote in message
...

So, you agree that OEMs did it to gain a financial advantage over their
competitors.

The only competitors left that I'm aware of for MS would be Mac or Linux.
OEM price discount is a gift from MS to hardware vendors who go through the
trouble of installing the MS OS on their hardware for sale as a package deal
to have systems that users can take out of a box, plug in, turn on, and
start using.
Having the OS already installed gives users a reason to buy the MS OS rather
than looking for Linux.
Having the loyal customer base with IBM machines who grow attached to their
machines and want to stick with the same machine type when they upgrade
gives MS an edge over Mac, even if Macs can now run IBM software.
MS is not the only company to use such methods. Just look at XM satellite
radio. It comes pre-installed on certain vehicles, and to switch to a
different satellite radio requires different hardware.