I wonder what would have happened to the Linux desktop ecosystem had it embraced something like Software-ICs modeled similarly to Apple's OpenDoc project rather than to implement monolithic applications. One of my favorite Hacker News comments describing what could have been is this (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13573373). My views are in line with this comment; I believe that component-based software is a more efficient development model, and I also believe that this would provide necessary differentiation of the Linux desktop ecosystem compared to commercial desktops like Windows and macOS.

I'm actually planning a side project where I want to implement a component-based application framework on top of Linux and the BSDs, but using the Common Lisp Object System as its base as part of a long-term vision to build a modern-day Lisp operating system (I want to focus on the application environment first, leveraging the wide hardware support that Linux and the BSDs have compared to lesser-known operating systems like Mezzano). I haven't heard of the term Software IC until now, but I'm familiar with the history of the OpenDoc project as well as other component-based software technologies such as SOM, COM, CORBA, and XPCOM.