> Offline account a pro feature: to sell Microsoft accounts, office 365 and onedrive
> Switching default browsers more difficult: to sell Edge and Bing.
> Taskbar is now in the center: to get people to click on icons such as Teams, Microsoft Search, and the new launcher which includes links to Microsoft services like office 365.
All the changes above are not for the benefits of consumers or other business that rely on Windows OS, for example, app developers, partners etc. Microsoft would brand and market them for the benefits of consumers. But at their core, they are about serving Microsoft bottom line. To use the dominate of position of windows OS in the PC(desktop and laptop) market, to push other lines of business from Microsoft. Microsoft have to continue to grow their revenue to justify their market cap right? That is where Microsoft's core interest is and what fundamentally propel them to do. And it shows up in what consumers will end up with, and it's not surprising at all. All that marketing doesn't hide this fact.
And Microsoft will do things slowly, like boiling frogs, slowly so people don't realize. Remember when Windows 10 was launching people expressed concerns about linking Microsoft account to windows and Microsoft replied offline account will always be here? Now they removed it from non-pro edition and calling it "improving our ability to deliver new features to consumers" or "bring consumers more value". Microsoft's strategy is get people to use Microsoft account, so people use other Microsoft services like onedrive and office, and have stronger ties with Microsoft. Now if you want a offline account, you have to fork more money, and a lot of laptop OEMs ship with non-pro version of windows because it's cheaper license. This will deter a lot of people, so people cave in and go with Microsoft's strategy. But in long run, Microsoft will make more money from people with Microsoft accounts than they lost from the cheaper windows non-pro license. The business executives and strategists have all this calculated.