Jack Wallen has been hoping Linux will become mainstream for years. Saying it is a winner doesn't make it so.

Windows 8 is going to push Linux farther and farther to the fringes. Android (Linux-based) is not a full-fledged operating system. Microsoft will have a consistent UI (and kernal) from phone, to tablet, to laptop, to desktop, and to server. We can probably include the XBox gaming console too, but I've never used a gaming console since the original Atari so I really can't say for sure. Let's not forget Microsoft's cloud software: SkyDrive, Outlook.com.

Microsoft just about has the Holy Grail when it comes to a unified ecosystem.

Linux is great for appliances: firewalls, phone servers (Inter-Tel), iMacs, and other devices where you don't want users getting under the hood. Linux is wonderful for the folks that like to brag about how much smarter they are than other people. It's great for the folks that like to dance to a different drummer.

I've been dealing with PC's since the CP/M and MP/M days. I was there when each vendor had a different flavor of CP/M. It was not fun. It was not productive.

I do not have any Microsoft stock.