The "new microsoft" provides a baseline operating system riddled with spyware, an update system that takes over the control of your system and pushes random content to your drive and a closed-as-ever groupware suite. Nothing has really changed except some developer allure, which seems to be working.

But I don't want to be tracked when I paid for their stuff. I want control over my system. And from a developer perspective, I'm still 1000% more productive on any nix based system where the tooling is (and has generally always been) years ahead.

There are very few areas where I need to use windows, and it's only due to vendor lock-in. Embedded development tools and professional RE tools are stronger on windows, sadly.

embrace it

and we all know the next step.

yes, a software company releasing a software tool for Linux must surely be their first step in the grand plan to extinguish the entire marketplace! Devious, Microsoft, very devious!

If an abuser continuously abuses and then one day is kind, forgive those abused for skepticism...

it was more a reference to OP's phrasing than anything else. I don't think Microsoft is interested in extinguishing the Linux ecosystem at this point in time. Co-opting it, yes, but not extinguishing.