The answer to every single question.

-plural, contracts "Comp(s)"
-Hardware+Software
-Desktop or Laptop, new forms of hardware emmerge all the time
-What TV shows producers and academy awards ancient voting base(for Oscars) are too old and incapable to know anything more about than "where net is"

-Many thorough idiots think we should care to maintain our hardware, but it's a underdeveloped technology if it endangers itself just by being on(I'm talking dust, humidity and heat, the natural stuff that can damage your hardware over time)

-Are the future whatever they use next, be it another basic material, light or quantum comps, hell, your next console/PC/phone might work as a cloud computing platform. (consult OnLive)

-Every OS has its tricks/ways, cons and pros
-Experinced users can controll their system faster and more efficiently because they know their shortcuts, hotkeys and tricks

Current categorization by OS/pseudo-religion:

Windows = compatible with everything(malware

Sometimes really great to have around the house, but other times annoying as hell.

Plural for a bunch of things that suck.