Next year will be the year of Linux, said for 2004. Since then we've been up and down the media hub bandwagon, the smartphone revolution and the cloud-based services. So much shuffling around for something so personal; our digital lives.
Back in 2008 I had a second PC that I was rarely using and I thought it would be a good idea to have Linux on it. Even if I was using Linux every day as part of my work, using it on a personal computer would be a good addition...
I guess I'm only mentioning the year because at that time we were right in the midst of the "App Store sensation". Smartphones were the new hot thing and their manufacturers promoted the idea of hardware & software "partnership" to create the "ultimate" experience. Long story short, I bought the hype. After some time I uninstalled Linux on that computer in favor of a proprietary OS. A decision I feel was a mistake in retrospect.
Companies try to convince us that they have "special" software tailored for their devices but all evidence shows that proprietary software is based on the same building components, most of which you can find as open source, and common communication protocols created as open standards.
The deal with software only running on specific platforms reminds us of the "console wars" and their deals for exclusive titles. It's a known fact that the only purpose this kind of software serves is to increase sales for the platform; the average consumers have caught up identifying this "strategy" and are getting weary...
This is by no means a new practice. In the late 90s Microsoft was penalized because it tried to make Internet Explorer the "de facto" web browser for Windows. The general consensus in that case was that people will use what's installed on their machine, regardless if it's the best software available.
What has changed since then is the tolerance towards these practices. It's embarrassing that well in the 21st century consumers still don't have a choice of an operating system when they buy their computers. Hardware companies that dabble with software applications offer a peculiar mix, as if manufacturers of kitchen appliances also supplied the meals that are cooked with their appliances.
Tech folks like Richard Stallman go to extremes to shake people from their false perceptions regarding for-profit corporations but I would suggest that no one should be surprised if their marketing doesn't reflect their practices. Simply put, their understanding of the greater good is through a path of profiteering. That's how it's always been and that's how it will ever be.
Regardless, people should not give up on their right to use their devices however they want to. And if you're thinking, "there's no need to choose because companies now produce the best software", think again. Good software is grown "in the wild", and that's what makes it durable and flexible.
Proof of that is how many proprietary Operating Systems are based on the Linux core. They take advantage of the contributions of a global pool of developers, and that's good; because even if a company has thousands of employees, only a small fraction of them code, moreover contribute to something as challenging as an operating system. In short, no one company has the horsepower to sustain an operating system indefinitely. Yes, none. Even if that was possible, entrusting a for-profit company with a noble cause like supporting a major operating system for humanity would be just foolish.
Beyond the OS, web apps are becoming the new standard for application software. When was the last time you used a native mail client for email? Most computer activities, like communication, media storage, publishing have been taken over by web apps. Heck, even this piece was composed using web apps...
The last remaining native apps are the ones with "intense" needs like video editing and audio production. The Web platform is making efforts in reaching this final frontier with new technologies like WebAssembly. Looking ahead, there's practically no limitation why every app can't be web-based. Overlooking other benefits, web apps give us an unmatched level of portability when using our devices.
Ultimately, the goal is not to choose one OS over the other. The goal is to have the freedom to be totally detached from any of them and be able to switch between them with no friction. Replacing computers should be a trivial matter. Given that, operating systems need not be bloated beyond what they're supposed to be: a system operating a computer.