Microsoft is out with Windows 8 this week, and the operating system–which straddles standard Windows interface conventions and touchscreen-style conventions–is being described as the company’s biggest gamble in years. That seems like an apt thing to call the new OS, since Microsoft has a tough sell in convincing users that they need new versions of Windows. But many analysts are taking a step back and noting that there is, in fact, a brand new era of operating system competition dawning. In this new era, open source operating systems are poised for dramatic success…

The fact is, it has been many years since we’ve seen such healthy competition among operating systems. Only a few years ago, Microsoft Windows was on nine out of 10 computers, the Mac OS had less than five percent market share, and Nokia dominated the world of flip phones.