Life after Vista?

The next Windows operating system, the one that will ultimately replace Vista (assuming that IT departments eventually pry XP out of users' cold, dead hands), will be available in parts. While this has potential, if there is a price discount, for people who know what in the heck they are doing, I can imagine this in the hands of the people who really only understand their computer to the degree that they understand their microwave.

A singular yet highly modular OS could give Microsoft the best of all possible worlds: OSes that can be highly customized for deployment but developed monolithically. One modular OS to rule them all, let's say.

Why am I still using Microsoft? One reason is that the camera software that lets me take these nifty classes only works on Windows. Another is Adobe. If Adobe could manage a linux distribution, I think I could go without turning back. (And Gimp does not come close, I am sorry.)