Will Linux be the Dominate OS in the Consumer Electronics Landscape?

So asks Ryan Paul over at Ars Technica. The article focuses on a talk given by Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation.

As netbooks and smartphones redefine the boundaries of computing, he argues, Linux will take on even greater importance. Although he says it's not clear what kind of form factors will dominate when the dust settles, he's convinced that Linux will become the dominant platform of the transforming mobile and embedded ecosystem. Thanks to greater flexibility, freedom from lock-in, and lack of licensing costs, he believes that Linux "enables consumer electronics like no other platform."

While I don't necessarily disagree that Linux will be a major force in CE and the computing space in general going forward, I wouldn't bet on it becoming the dominant OS. Simply because, while Linux is definitely flexible and seemingly infinitely configurable, the best software/firmware for each specific use will need to be used, and that may not always be Linux. In fact, it may be Windows, or some other OS. Maybe even something new. Still, Linux has been making great inroads in the embedded space, and I do foresee it being a major player going forward. Again, though, I wouldn't bet on it becoming the dominant player. In fact, I foresee the CE and embedded spaces remaining fairly fractured, not becoming a reflection of the desktop OS market, merely out of necessity.