This is an aside, but I think you may be confused about what constitutes a monolithic kernel... Sure, the windows kernel doesn't have to be monolithic...no kernel does, it's not some sort of moral imperative. But there are design advantages, for example, you can squeeze every last ounce of performance out of certain processes by putting them inside kernel space. Stability and security, on the other hand, are often cited as advantages to micro-kernels. It sounds like you're equating monolithic kernels with monopolistic business practices, which is misguided. Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Windows, etc. are all examples of OSes based on monolithic kernels. Wiki's monolithic kernel entry...