I've been seeing it pop up more in embedded/PC based devices. Seems to be replacing Windows XP and the other embedded Windows versions. Guess Microsoft wants too much for those licenses.
I used to run 8.1 embedded as my desktop and honestly if my exoerience with it was anything to go by windows embedded has been only requiring more resources while losing features that make having a separate embedded edition make sense.
"Please just put the fries in the bag. I don't care about open source or that GNU is the operating system and Linux is the kernel or whatever you're yappin about!"
Commercial Windows licenses aren't typically covered by the equipment installers (or if they are, the cost is passed on to you instead of subsidizing it), have expiration dates, and you'll want security updates.
I think the comment had the implication that the system would be running on Windows if not Ubuntu.
But nowadays I'd be surprised if one of these display devices ran Windows or some similar crap that is NOT Linux.
Ubuntu/Canonical did, imho, the right thing to offer paid support for what is otherwise a free OS. That's what companies care for, that cannot afford a full IT employee or even department. Of course Redhat et. al. also offer that but Ubuntu seems more suitable for smaller solutions?
It's probably irrelevant for the 1-executable no WAN use case, but the sheer price they are paying for even a dirt cheap board that can run the full gnome environment vs...like, a raspberry pi...blows the mind.