Final answer:
The rise of Linux as a free, open source operating system disrupted the high tech industry by reducing software costs, fostering innovation, and challenging the dominance of proprietary systems. It created new economic models for technology businesses and altered the landscape for hardware manufacturers and high-performance computing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of open source operating systems such as Linux forever changed the economic landscape of the high tech industry. Before Linux, the market was dominated by proprietary systems, which were tightly controlled by their manufacturers and often carried a high cost.
Linux, with its free distribution and configurability, not only made it possible for a variety of hardware manufacturers to reduce costs but also enabled an ecosystem where new businesses and technologies could thrive without the burden of expensive software licenses. This shift greatly disrupted established companies like Sun Microsystems and Silicon Graphics who relied on selling expensive proprietary systems.
High-performance computing, like that used by NASA to establish clusters of networked off-the-shelf PCs running Linux, also benefited from this new economic model which offered a powerful alternative to traditional proprietary supercomputers. Linux's influence continues to affect everything from embedded systems to supercomputers and remains a pivotal example of how open-source can disrupt traditional business models in technology.