> very few people are going to buy new hardware just to try out an OS
We do have VM's and emulators, but yes, the cost of switching OS's is huge. That's true with or without broad hardware compatibility.
My point is this: I don't think the idea of OS-agnostic hardware ever really existed. The fact that most Windows PC's can also run Linux is an exceptional accomplishment, and not something other projects can be expected to replicate. You might get other OS's to boot, but not with full functionality.
We do have VM's and emulators, but yes, the cost of switching OS's is huge. That's true with or without broad hardware compatibility.
My point is this: I don't think the idea of OS-agnostic hardware ever really existed. The fact that most Windows PC's can also run Linux is an exceptional accomplishment, and not something other projects can be expected to replicate. You might get other OS's to boot, but not with full functionality.