So, about that thing at the Davos conference... You know, when Vladimir Putin verbally bit off the hand of Dell CEO Michael Dell for asking if Russia could use a little tech support? Well, call us crazy, but the wording of his response, "We don't need any help. We are not invalids," seems to hint that the Russians have a secret plan for I.T. independence. And guess what? They do! At this very moment, President Medvedev is expecting a letter from the Duma's leading nerds requesting his support in the creation of a national operating system for Russia (suck it, Windows!).

The hypothetical, state-sponsored interface would be designed exclusively for Russia, and might employ the core concept behind China’s controversial Red Flag Linux. But don’t let the Duma hear you make that China comparison. Though Russia’s OS is still in the "wouldn't it be cool" phase, its promoters are already calling it “the most unique operating system of its kind.” For their sake, we hope it's a little less unique than the Optimus Maximus keyboard. We understand those take some getting used to.

For those of us who don’t speak “I.T.,” a national OS would mean that Russia will answer to nobody, proprietors will be given the proverbial finger and, to paraphrase Churchill, a cyber-curtain will descend across the continent. No wonder Microsoft Russia is getting all huffy. Its representatives say no such OS is necessary and that what Russia really needs to do is advance those systems it has in place already.

So if Mr. Medvedev would be so kind as to look up from his iBook for just a moment, maybe we could bring you an update regarding his stance on the issue. Then again, he's only the president, and if Davos is any indicator, it appears Daddy has already made up his mind.

Earlier: Putin Turns Down Michael Dell's Aid Offer at Davos [NY Times DealBook Blog]
Медведеву предлагают создать русскую замену Windows [CNews]

Photo Courtesy of CNews