The problem with Enterprise isn't the cost. It's that in 2021 Microsoft still can't make a webpage that asks for credit card details and gives out product keys.
To acquire an Enterprise license legitimately, you need to go through a reseller and pad the order with inexpensive client access licenses to reach the 5-license minimum order.
I wonder if part of it is a "covering ears and singing" thing.
Right now, the trend is all about the recurring revenue. Not just Windows, every bloody product is that way. It doesn't matter what bridges they burn in making a horrible customer experience, as long as they can show Wall Street a chart saying it returns 35 cents per month per customer in ad/behavioural tracking data sales.
But what happens if we have something that shows that's not a winning strategy? If, say, the Windows Enterprise license at $175 ends up outselling a $100-plus-$50-in-nickel-and-dime-revenue-over-the-next-five-years Windows crammed with bloatware? How would investors respond?
To acquire an Enterprise license legitimately, you need to go through a reseller and pad the order with inexpensive client access licenses to reach the 5-license minimum order.