What does *nix mean for Redmond?

When news first surfaced that Novell would be releasing its Novell Linux Desktop (NLD, based on SuSE Linux) ahead of schedule, discussion threads and blogs were all agog (or is that "ablog"?). As far as I can tell, there are two basic themes to most threads. First, what does NLD mean for Windows? Second, what does it mean to other Linux desktops? I plan to answer both questions.

But, let me start by saying that, although I'd like to, I have not tried Sun's Linux-based Java Desktop System (JDS), nor have I used NLD. If I were to lay my hands on a copy of JDS, my preference would be to try the Solaris version instead of the Unix version just to prove a point (more on that in a moment). Unfortunately, the Solaris-based version is only certified to run on Sun's own wickedly expensive AMD-based hardware that the company is not making available to reviewers. Chances are you'll have better luck if you're a customer who's serious about switching some large contingent of users to JDS. Even though it's a good idea to try JDS and NLD to get a feel for what they can do, you don't have to in order to arrive at the following conclusions.

When software delivers a specific utility, that utility or "layer of value" is often referred to as "the contract". Like a real contract, a software contract sets the expectations of the external entities that will interface with the software. Those entities can be other systems or software, or they can be humans. If software interacts primarily with other software to deliver its value, the contract is at the application programming interface level where software (applications or operating systems) can issue or receive instructions from other software. If software interacts with users, then the rubber meets the road at the user-interface level where users feed something in and get something out in whatever format they want it (think documents and communications like instant messaging).

In the case of desktop Linux, the contract is in the user interface (which includes the applications). After all, a lot of the attraction to desktop Linux is due to the fact that it does things out of the box that Windows does not. For example, there's no need to run out and buy a productivity suite or install an instant messaging client. Most distributions of desktop Linux include fairly robust software for each. This model is remarkably similar to that of PDAs. As with PocketPC or PalmOS-based devices, the targeted users of JDS, NLD, and whatever Red Hat comes up with next will mostly interact with the applications and not with the operating system, which in turn reduces the OS to a mostly embedded and, not coincidentally, rather trivial commodity status.