The huge advantage I was referring to is that no competitor can provide Windows instances without paying whatever price Microsoft sets and complying with whatever terms they set. They can make it infeasible to compete whenever they feel threatened.
As for downloading and using Windows for free, sure you can, but it's not allowed to. Using Windows illegally has always been an option even if it's slightly easier now. If you're a business, Microsoft will sometimes audit you, so you can't rely on this approach.
In any case, regardless of whether it's a good idea to use an unlicensed copy, where are you getting that they're working towards making in free?
As for downloading and using Windows for free, sure you can, but it's not allowed to. Using Windows illegally has always been an option even if it's slightly easier now. If you're a business, Microsoft will sometimes audit you, so you can't rely on this approach.
In any case, regardless of whether it's a good idea to use an unlicensed copy, where are you getting that they're working towards making in free?