What is the significance of NCSU's double floating gate FET technology for the future of OS design?

this is my first post, and I certainly hope that it's appropriate to the forum - I've been lurking for some time, and I believe that it is, but my apologies if this is not the case.

I presume that most if not all readers here have encountered the story regarding the discovery (popularization?) of "double floating gate FETs" by NCSU, which is being hailed as a potential "universal memory."

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/23/scientists-build-double-floating-gate-fet-believe-it-could-revo/

I've been slowly digesting a wide range of material related to software development, including OS design (I am, perhaps obviously, strictly amateur), and given that one of the most basic functions that any OS performs is managing the ever-present exchange of data between perpetual storage and volatile memory, it strikes me that if this technology matures and becomes widely available, it would represent su开发者_如何学编程ch a sea-change in the role of the OS that it would almost necessitate rewriting our operating systems from the ground up to make full use of its potential. Am I correct in my estimation of the role of the OS, and in the potential ramifications of the new technology? Or, have I perhaps failed to understand some critical distinction regarding the logical (as opposed to physical) relationships between processor, memory, and storage?

Until we know what it'll cost in mass production, it's impossible to say. Unless it can be made cheaply enough to replace hard drives, so you erase the distinction between "main memory" and "long term storage", the impact will be minimal. I'd be surprised to see that happen though.

Even if economics allowed that to happen, I doubt it really would. Some mobile devices already use identical (battery backed RAM) for main memory and long term storage. This would eliminate the battery-backing for the memory, but doesn't seem likely to impact OS design at all. Since (at least most) use the same battery for normal operation and maintaining long-term storage, this would simply mean and extra 10% (or whatever) life from the same battery -- but only if its normal operation required about the same power as normal RAM (which strikes me as unlikely -- most flash draws extra power when writing).