You never had control over windows. Not since the ME/XP days. You don’t have control over MacOS either. The only OS you have any control over is Linux and even some of those you don’t.
>>hospit+j4
XP was the version that started pushing updates despite whatever you would configure and deny executing if you didn't jump through the correct hops.
You still had some amount of control on 95. MS had the power to take your control away at any point, but they didn't at that time.
>>gabere+(OP)
I suppose they weren't as obnoxious/desperate about it in the past, though. I feel like past methods were more about lawsuits and software patents than about annoying every individual consumer that paid for your damn product