The presence of Linux grows slowly every year at the Consumer Electronics Show. It will rise meteorically at the show next month, thanks to Google's Android and other Linux-based mobile operating systems like Meego.

More Linux-based tablets will be on display at next year's show, including models from prominent companies like Dell. Toshiba, Samsung and other companies may show Android tablets with larger screens.

And mobile Linux will continue to grow. Shortly after CES, HP may launch a tablet based on WebOS, which is based on Linux, and was acquired from Palm. As predicted, Kno this week announced the availability of its highly customized Ubuntu tablet.

Tablets have been defined as devices that include the best of smartphones and laptops. Linux has had trouble gaining acceptance with laptops or desktops, and perhaps tablets were what Linux  needed to reach the masses.

The growth of Linux coincides with the rise in sales of mobile devices. The major device manufacturers -- except Apple -- are backing the OS. A lot of developers, like Rovio, which makes the game Angry Birds, are writing applications for both the Android and Apple devices.

Some analysts are also predicting that the proliferation of tablets could eat into overall PC sales. It's hard to predict as of now that the tablet will be the knight in shining armor for Linux, but it sure looks promising.

Beyond mobile devices, Linux is going into in-car entertainment systems, cable boxes, ATM machines and TVs. Google TV, based on Android, powers Sony's Internet Television and Logitech's Revue set-top box, which blend the Internet and TV experience in one interface. Intel has or will have separate Meego distros for tablets, smartphones, cars, set-top boxes and other embedded devices.

CES could be a come-out party for Linux, just a year apart from being on the sidelines. So continue to study Linux. And keep questioning yourself: which one is hot: Linux, Apple's iOS/Mac or Microsoft's Windows?