The Windows/Linux situation over the past few decades is an interesting study in just how bad you can make a paid product before people will suffer some friction to move to a free one.
@vampiress of course some of the friction is because Windows come installed as the default on new machines: Microsoft strong-armed nearly all PC manufacturers to pre-install Windows, making them include the cost of doing so in the base price, with no discount for the purchaser if you didn't want it.
But then Apple is perhaps even worse for lock-in.
@vampiress I would argue structural barriers were erected by private interests to prevent moving being viable at lower levels of friction. Just like in all the other situations they did that.
@daedalus Yes, and all this despite the major barrier ("i can't use my OS-native software") being rendered largely moot by every “app" being a web page now.