Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald say Windows, which runs the vast majority of the world's PCs, has become so bulky and ill-equipped for the challenges of modern computing that it risks becoming obsolete.
Threats from new Web-based models of software delivery, a shift towards low-cost computing, and a reluctance on the part of companies to upgrade their machines to new operating systems for potentially limited benefits, have all contributed to the possibility that Microsoft's dominance of the desktop may crumble, they said.
The increasing complexity of Windows means the release times for new versions have become unpredictable. Vista, the latest version, has 50 million lines of code, more than double the second version of the software.
