If you look in a computer store, or adverts, depressingly, the operating system is the same every time. Although people take for granted that when it comes to other aspects, such as graphics cards, sound cards and hard drives, you can choose from countless different types and makes, for the OS you are stuck with Windows.
But there was always an exception, lurking in the corner, yet shining out like a beacon of hope when you found it; the palmtops. They use their own operating system (according to AF, the OS in the Psion series is quite good, including pre-emptive multitasking). Naturally, Bill Gates wasn't happy with this, so Windows CE was created.
You can expect palmtops to become all the rage now that you can run Windows on them.
I have this nightmare. In 30 or 50 years' time, presumably computers will be, in some form, in every aspect of our lives. Mini computers more powerful than today's super computers that are built into cars, TVs, watches, stereos, US, everything. That is not the nightmare. The nightmare is that all of these things will be running Windoze, or some OS from Microsoft. Everything you buy will give money to Microsoft, and everything you own will be controlled by software from Mr Gates. Scarey.
Mark