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.