Previously I talked about the role of M$ in the x86 CPU mess. Today I am here to argue that M$ can atone for its "sins" and in a way help save the day for humanity.
It is a well known fact that an inferior product can become the world standard, despite it's inferiority. The reasons can vary from being first to market, superior marketing, stupid competition, deep pockets, etc. M$'s Windows can be a case in point.
Another more relevant case in point is the x86 CPU architecture; x86 is not the best CPU architecture to program for and neither is it the best in terms of performance per watt or energy efficiency. However almost all personal computers use it. Why? Because it is the only architecture that can run Windows XP and Vista.
If windows were to become CPU agnostics, I think that humanity would benefit on at least two fronts: cheaper computers, and better energy efficiency. If only 1/3rd of personal computers ran on none x86 CPUs, 13-36 million KWatts could be saved annually.
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