What does the OS run on? Typically IE or Firefox running on Windows. In this way, the Internet is the Information Highway for the privileged 20% of the world population with more than a billion computers in the global network. But wait a minute, did I say global network? What would happen if I cut off one node? In a true network, everything would continue to work unaffected. However, on the Information Highway, if the Chinese government banned Google, Chinese people would be using Bing. The network would continue to work unaffected. It’s still not a true network. What would happen if Bing is banned? Ok, a couple of nodes are lost, and China is in the dark ages. (We are in the Information Age now.) The point is illustrative enough. A true network functions with half its nodes lost.
What does the OS run on? Again, that’s the question. Coming up with the question is the hard part. The answer is easy: it runs on the network. What network? In terms of hardware, it’s the all the desktops, servers, microwave ovens, thermostats connected together, necessarily with ip addresses. In terms of software, it’s a neural network with arms and legs. Now, I’ve heard a secret. (Not you!)
Microsoft is working on this secret project, and the .Net Framework was designed to have the run time environment to support it. Bing Singularity to learn about what’s already been done.

PS: It sounds like I’ve just written a commercial for Microsoft