I'd like to suggest we actually need more diversity on every level of the stack. Just about everything being sold as a "computer" is a modernized version of the IBM 5150 that runs (and sometimes is built to run) Windows. Those that don't, run something either inspired or directly derived from AT&T's Unix. Every computer you buy today has one or more CPUs connected to a single memory address space. When they have non-volatile memory attached, it's treated like a disk drive.
Sometimes, when I treat a file, I have the disturbing feeling I'm reading a stack of cards... Palm and Newton didn't even have files. I spent far too much time trying to hammer trees into serial stores and vice-versa because those were the tools of the time. There has to be better ideas needing exploration.
And a new OS idea, for the first time ever, does not require you to give up a usable collection of software - most software that make up a modern Unix desktop require little more than X and POSIX. Regardless of how weird your underlying OS is, as long as you have that, programmers will be able to use your OS and work on it, which is the only real way to make them write software for it.
Sometimes, when I treat a file, I have the disturbing feeling I'm reading a stack of cards... Palm and Newton didn't even have files. I spent far too much time trying to hammer trees into serial stores and vice-versa because those were the tools of the time. There has to be better ideas needing exploration.
And a new OS idea, for the first time ever, does not require you to give up a usable collection of software - most software that make up a modern Unix desktop require little more than X and POSIX. Regardless of how weird your underlying OS is, as long as you have that, programmers will be able to use your OS and work on it, which is the only real way to make them write software for it.