Are you sure you know what 'persistent' means in this context? Because I cannot see how network booting leads to the kind of persistence we're talking about. In

Are you sure you know what 'persistent' means in this context? Because I cannot see how network booting leads to the kind of persistence we're talking about. In fact, you seem to be describing technologies that help in implementing the exact opposite. Also, you've missed the point of the Linux comment. I'll spell it out: typically people who revere UNIX in the way described have never in their lives used a UNIX system other than Linux (unless it was MacOSX+, of course). Is that relevant? Not really, that's why it is a footnote.