That's because it's more expensive for a Windows OEM to pre-install and ship Linux than it is to install Windows. You have extra hardware qualification and sof

That's because it's more expensive for a Windows OEM to pre-install and ship Linux than it is to install Windows. You have extra hardware qualification and software testing costs, extra accounting, distribution and advertising costs, and massively higher support costs. Not only does it cost more to pre-install Linux, you lose all the payments for distributing third-part software (ie installing crapware) in Windows, which in some cases means you can install Windows at a profit. (If a user signs up for the pre-installed anti-virus, the PC manufacturer can make more than the cost of Windows.)