Next step, do the same for Windows
I think the only way the Windows 10 trainwreck can be averted at this stage is if Microsoft does similar for the entire OS. Replace traditional Windows with a Linux based OS and legacy compatibility layer.
Microsoft has the internal knowledge to develop a proprietary wrapper with higher compatibility than Wine (or provide a set of stripped down Windows 10, XP, 98 cores in a sandbox) to give business customers the best compatibility with older software ever, and this active catastrophe we have right now can be buried for good. Would not even be too difficult to port over things like the Windows Store for said distribution as the 'Modern' applications are already a new layer on top of Windows that could run in their own sandbox.
That would even fulfil the promise of Windows 10 being the last real Windows. I say this as a Windows user from the days of 3.11, the current product has fallen off the rails and is becoming offensive to use. Starting afresh upon reliable technology would be both a cost saver (a lot of the work is being done by the community) and improve the user experience (better update systems are already in place) there must be some people are Microsoft who recognize this as a valid choice, or we wouldn't see what we're seeing here with Edge / Chromium.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
