That's how it works with Windows and obviously Linux. Why would a company not want to make it as easy as possible for people to try out, develop for and test on their OS?
https://windowsdev.azureedge.net/eulas/WindowsDeveloperVirtu...
"You may use the software in the virtual hard disk image only to demonstrate and internally evaluate it. You may not use the software for commercial purposes. You may not use the software in a live operating environment."
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/v...
"b. You may use the software for testing purposes only. You may not use the software for commercial purposes. You may not use the software in a live operating environment."
> The license for those VMs: "b. You may use the software for testing purposes only.
Basically you (and Microsoft) agree?
Even if using a Windows VM in that way violated some Microsoft license, I don't think I'd care much. It's not like Microsoft is gonna sue an individual using one of their VMs for an hour over some licensing technicality. I'm sure they'd care if this was in a commercial setting (and then I'd actually care about the license), but for personal, non-commercial use, I don't see it. Worst case scenario I'd actually buy a Windows license. At least for me, this is more about the technical ability to run an OS in a VM than about the legal details behind it.