Actually, I agree. We originally used the term "platform". But, we found that people understood more easily when we switched to "operating system" -- and it's not too far off the mark, honestly. Sandstorm is an OS in the sense that Android is an OS. Both use the Linux kernel, but largely control the userspace. (Sandstorm can run along-side your existing Linux distro without interfering with anything, but it doesn't really use any of your distro's infrastructure so this is somewhat of a technicality.)
The problem with "platform", which surprised me, is that a lot of people now think "platform" is somehow synonymous with "cloud service". For example, if you watch HBO's Silicon Valley, you may remember the whole "platform vs. box" debate from this season. It's a frustrating perversion of the word, but it is what it is.
It's actually restricting our thought to an annoying extent that we've overloaded the term "operating system" so much. This isn't Sandstorm's fault -- Windows already has billions of people thinking "operating system" == "desktop environment" so the ship has already sailed.
I would really like a word that describes this set:
+ Unix CLI
+ WIMP desktops
+ Browsers
+ iOS touch interface
+ Android touch interface
+ Emacs (when used for general computing)
Perhaps "user environment" would work?
EDIT: For me at least "platform" doesn't quite fit. I think whatever word is best should imply "single user interface" which platform doesn't necessarily.
My concern with the misuse of the world "operating system" is that I've seen this trend noticably devalues the term in my own operating system projects, which are actual operating systems.
The problem with "platform", which surprised me, is that a lot of people now think "platform" is somehow synonymous with "cloud service". For example, if you watch HBO's Silicon Valley, you may remember the whole "platform vs. box" debate from this season. It's a frustrating perversion of the word, but it is what it is.