Whether it's because of Vista's confusing array of versions, its hefty hardware requirements, its driver issues or its invasive security features, users are resisting the upgrade to Vista and considering other options, from Mac OS X to Linux to just sticking with Windows XP, thank you very much. Never has a Microsoft operating system been greeted with such a lack of enthusiasm from consumers and businesses alike. And in 2008 both Linux and Mac OS X will have to compete against not Windows Vista but Windows Vista Service Pack 1, a release with a lot more market credibility than the original operating system. While Mac OS, OS/2, Linux and many other desktop operating systems have all had their devotees over the years, the truth is that the majority of home and business users have simply used the current version of Windows as a matter of course. Other mobile operating systems-from the Palm OS, to Microsofts WinCE, to Symbian-originated out of a software platform designed for PDAs, and was adapted for use in phones afterward.
No matter how fierce the language or convincing the arguments, however, these battles began to seem somewhat irrelevant to regular working stiffs. The use of Linux for mobile devices is similar to Apples approach in using a version of its desktop Mac OS X on the iPhone. Since the dawn of time - or, at least, the dawn of personal computers - the holy wars over desktop operating systems have raged, with each faction proclaiming the unrivaled superiority of its chosen OS and the vile loathsomeness of all others. MacOS X could be good, but I’m not going to spend that kind of money on new software and pricey hardware without being able to first test a Mac.