alt Hacker NewsThis is still the case. You can absolutely buy computers without an OS, but most people don't want that so they aren't quite as easy to find.
Here is an HP without an OS: https://www.newegg.com/p/1VK-001E-4UPC7
If you want something that most other people don't want, it is going to be a little harder to find. That isn't a conspiracy, that is just life.
Yes, it may take some work these days. I was addressing the claim that it's "not a reasonable expectation" with a pretty poor rationale provided. The rationale applied equally well in the 80's and 90's, and no one then said "It's unreasonable to sell without an OS."