It's the end of Round Four in the Great Gadget Smack-Down — time to weigh the mighty blows wielded by both heavyweights. Overall, Linux has landed 51 percent of 715 blows, but Windows has connected plenty of haymakers, too. Clearly, this match is far from finished!

In Round Four, Linux continued to pummel Windows with heavy body blows in gateways, servers, and access points, where it enjoys a lead of 91 to essentially zilch. Windows, on the other hand, fought back hard by expanding its huge lead in GUI-centric handheld and mobile devices, out-jabbing Linux 215 to 85 in combined PDAs, tablets, and mobile phones.

In the smartphone arena, Linux avoided complete cauliflower ear by landing eight solid head-butts, to 19 for Windows, which had corner help from a new version of its mobile OS.

Linux continued to flay Windows eight-to-three in audio visual devices, widening its overall lead there into a 3-to-1 advantage. Windows, meanwhile, scored a take-down in thin clients, though, whacking Tux eight to two, to gain a 60 percent upper hand in that category.

Finally, Linux flexed its flexibility muscle in the ever-interesting “other” category, where it buffeted Windows 15 to seven.

In summary, the battle rages on, with no clear winner but consumers, who increasingly benefit from a whole new world of ever smarter and better-connected devices. Round 4 scorecard: Linux 367, Windows 348.

It's now time for Round Five to begin. Good luck to both our heavyweights — and may the best solution for consumers win!

Which OS do you think wins from the real-world devices perspective? Which OS do you think will ultimately prevail, and in what market segments? Let us know, and share your thoughts with our readers! The LinuxDevices.com talkback thread for this discussion is located here.

Before you comment, be sure to visit each side's Device Showcase:

• The Linux Devices Showcase
• The Windows Devices Showcase

. . . and review these related stories: