To stay on top, operating system vendors implement strategies that lock consumers in.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Adding to Android's army

The Intel Learning Series brings together a strong ecosystem of PC manufacturers, operating system vendors, education service providers, content and software providers to deliver a complete, end-to-end education solution.

ENGADGET: Intel and Lenovo release the Classmate+ PC for the kids

For one thing, Microsoft beat up on Palm the same way it took out many of its competitors in the desktop OS space: by putting pressure on hardware vendors to use its operating system, and offering it at a price they couldn't refuse.

FORBES

With one-click glimpses into competing operating systems like Windows and Ubuntu, the vendors woo Mac users to fire up a new operating system--at least temporarily.

FORBES: Magazine Article

That's why most non-Intel hardware vendors originally chose Unix for their default operating system.

CNN: Can Linux break Intel's hold on the market?

The growth of the free operating system, Linux, is leading all the big Unix vendors to revise their pricing.

ECONOMIST: Microsoft: Togetherness | The

Most of these vendors chose Unix because it began as a free operating system with open source.

CNN: Can Linux break Intel's hold on the market?

Still, that has not deterred other vendors from experimenting, or at least considering the open-source operating system, as multiple reports of Firefox, Sailfish, and Tizen plan to release new Linux-based experiences in the future.

ENGADGET: IDC: Android claims 75 percent of smartphone shipments in Q3, 136 million handsets sold