Microsoft at the time provided only software and put legal and technical restrictions on PC manufacturer’s ability to uninstall Internet Explorer.
Somehow, that is repeated so often as if it was the truth. Making both HW and SW makes it even worse, not better.
There is one supplier for the hardware: Apple. One supplier for the OS: Apple. And for phones, tablets, TVs and watches, only one supplier for software: Apple's official store.
Apple hardware like a gaming console. You buy an Xbox because you want/need an Xbox. You don't start fantasising about installing Arch on it and playing indie games from itch.io. You're perfectly happy getting what's available in the official store.
IMO there are good reasons for some regulation of platforms.