Windows 7 vs. Linux: Beyond Thunderdome

It seems like the chatter around some impending Windows 7 vs. Linux faceoff has been exponentially increasing these past couple of weeks. I do not know about you, but I find it somewhat humorous. After all, the fan boys are getting widely excited. And, from reading all of the comments flying around one might think this is some kind of no holds bar, dirt encrusted, choose your own weapon, cage match of death.

In fact, let's just call this Thunderdome!

"Listen all! This is the truth of it. Fighting leads to killing, and killing gets to warring. And that was damn near the death of us all. Look at us now! Busted up, and everyone talking about hard rain! But we've learned, by the dust of them all... Bartertown learned. Now, when OSes get to fighting, it happens here! And it finishes here! Two OSes enter; one OS leaves."

Errr... Calm down people! Yes, Microsoft is finally putting out a good OS (well technically Windows Server 2008 was pretty good). Yes, Linux and Windows (and even Apple is getting into the mix) will continue to slug it out. However, is the hype really called for?

After all, how people interface with their applications and data is becoming less and less tied to a particular OS. Rather, an OS is fast becoming a simple interface much like a keyboard or mouse. While the meat and guts of what keeps our ever more digital lives in monition if fast migrating to the cloud.

So, if one sits down and thinks about it. The concept of a desktop OS is fast becoming a dinosaur, and given the Microsoft's release cycle Windows 8 is not going to be a desktop OS like we know it. In other words... let's all calm down.