I know what you're saying but that's a cop out excuse. Prior to Vista M$ at least tried to be inclusive with their operating systems and hardware, they resumed the inclusivity with Win 7 then dropped it again with Win 8 and Win 10.
Since Windows 95, most of the OS-Disc´s content is drivers. Today, drivers even arrive via the update channel. So I think MS did not a bad job regarding the hardware support but it is still a service, not a product. The sole responsibility have the hardware manufacturers.
The issue is not XP, Vista, 7, ect but the age of the hardware. Put a Soundblaster Pro in a XP system and you will need no drivers. You have sound with the very first start after the OS´ installation. Put it into a Vista system and it will be silent unless you install the driver.
And of course, MS cannot cover all the variety of devices. There can be issues, there can even be a complete lack of drivers. No reason to damn MS. It is as if you curse your car´s manufacturer when you hit a deep and painful road hole...