A microkernel is a minimal computer operating system kernel providing only basic operating system services (system calls), while other services (commonly provided by kernels) are provided by user-space programs called servers. Commonly, microkernels provide services such as address space management, thread management, and inter-process communication, but not networking or display for example.

Later extensions of this concept lead to new architectures such as nanokernels, exokernels and hardware abstraction layers.

Kernel bloat

Early operating system kernels were rather small, partly because computer memories were small. As the capability of computers grew, the number of devices the kernel had to control also grew. Early versions of UNIX had kernels of quite modest size, even though those kernels contained device drivers and file system managers. When address spaces increased from 16 to 32 bits, kernel design was no longer cramped by the hardware architecture, and kernels began to grow. (See History of Unix).

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HP's first 13.3-inch Pavilion vs. the competition
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:34:18 -0700
HP is shipping its first laptop with a 13.3-inch widescreen display. The HP Pavilion dv3500t series is already available on HP's site starting at $1,000, and a slightly higher-end configuration, the dv3520nr, is available for pre-order at Best Buy for $1,200. Other sites have reported that this model will be...
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It sounds like Microsoft has yet another Professional Developers Conference PDC announcement percolating -- beyond the Windows 7, Oslo, cloud OS (Red Dog/Zurich) and Mesh Platform stuff about which the company already has been dropping hints. by Mary Jo Foley
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