The computer, in reality a mere tool, have transformed into a fundamental foundation of many people's lives. People are now approaching computer technology with the same moral fever that once reserved for only religion and politics. Religion and other moral dogmas are not the answer for some, and these people will often make a de-facto religion out of anything that becomes important to them. Thus, an operating system gains followers. There are sects and factions of users.
People take what operating system they use as a defining characteristic of their whole person.
This movement toward an operating system as a life philosophy is small, but it is quite prevalent among those of us who spend as much time on computer networks as we do in interpersonal contact. In cyberspace, what operating system you run represents who you are and for what you stand. In our unstable society, we are all on a search for something to help define who we are. Those of us whose lives are intertwined heavily with computers often choose an operating system to fill that void. As for me, I will proudly wear my Linux T-shirt until it is tattered and torn.