“If one were to try, as technology writers are wont to do, to
characterize the state of operating systems at this approximate
midpoint in the first century of OS history, one phrase that might
spring to mind is existential angst. Or maybe identity crisis. I
mean, consider:“On the one hand, we are confronted with splashy operating
systems news heralding new OS generations and directions and
features, from the long-awaited release of Microsoft’s Windows
Vista and the new twists in Apple’s Mac OS X to the peculiar
maneuvers of Microsoft and Oracle regarding Linux–which, if
nothing else, state loud and clear that Linux is an operating
system force to be reckoned with…”