I assume they aren't doing any of this in the corporate environment? Because there would be real world consequences for that.

If they aren't doing any of this advertising and collecting in the corporate realm, then I just don't see it making a lot of sense in the private realm. So many people don't use personal computers. People are burned out already from 8hrs at work, they usually use a phone or tablet at home. Very few things require sitting down with a computer now.

Because so much usage is through mobile now, it seems a dangerous play for the payoff. Every time someone switches to Linux, it makes it easier for the next person. I see a very unlikely, but still possible risk that some minor companies might just switch to some sort of Linux alternative. Especially if they are worried about employees taking sensitive data home and it getting snagged by Microsoft.