Operating Systems will soon be a thing of the past?

nice read, but totally unfounded. Even if the bios could do all this stuff. There are issues like upgradeing? or maybe I don't like bios dialer, I want this third party one? Everthing in the article wasn't really *new* just the built in internet connectivity, which isn't exactly 'space age' stuff. To me I see the bios as a level 1 tier OS and windows as a level 2 tier. You could even look at the hardrive as having a level of OS. I do think windows could not be the OS of the future, but right now it doesn't seem that way.

TaoX, I couldn't have put it better myself! But surely using BIOS as an OS (for the sake of argument) would make the computer more security vulnerable!! The last thing you want to hackers have access to is your BIOS. As for windows not being the OS of the future, considering the foothold it has on the market, a replacement would need to be something really special.
Correct me if i'm wrong but these are just a few of my thoughts.

Max

Then there's the article on C|Net this week about new developments in hardware control that can replace BIOS, which is long past its expected productive life anyway. IBM only expected BIOS to be used on 250,000 machines.

The only thing about windows being the OS of the future, is that Bill Gates would have to shoot himself in the foot and make buisness or people very mad. I could see this happening. Their policies are getting more dictating and forcing a company into upgrading to each and every new version of their software, or they'll have to pay huge amounts more if they don't. I've read that their latest policy is even worse. Its these sorts of things that I think *could* be the down fall of windows.

i agree that while windows is a well-grounded product, (and even starting to really polish up after all these years), the new policies and way MS is going with licensing and pricing, and their approach to the public will be the cause of their downfall if ever there is one. Even someone like MS can only expect to kick their customers around like a football for so long.

I think Redmond is going to be reconsidering it's licensing and pricing policies in light of the gaining popularity of Linux and open source office suites. There is an article somewhere on ZDnet and probably other places which describes this.