How would you go about choosing an embedded Operating System (OS) for the next generation of your product? As long as you do not have to actually do it, you may think that the choice should be based on the objective evaluation of various criteria, such as features, cost, support options, etc. In reality, however, there are seven completely different aspects that push executives, directors, managers and engineers towards fatal traps. Just like quicksand, you do not notice that you stepped into one of them until you get into trouble. Typically, you realize this towards the end of your project, in the middle of your product's lifecycle, or at the beginning of the next project when trying to add advanced features. Thus, in this white paper we will make you aware of those pitfalls and shallows you ought to avoid when choosing an embedded OS, without drifting off into a lot of technical details.