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Ad hoc and sensor networks are an important, emerging niche that is poorly supported by existing operating systems. In this paper, we argue that network-wide energy management is a primary concern in ad hoc networks, and that this functionality is best provided by a systems layer. We are currently designing and implementing a distributed, power-aware, adaptive operating system, called MagnetOS, specifically targeting ad hoc and sensor networks. MagnetOS provides a single system image of a unified Java virtual machine across the nodes that comprise an ad hoc network. By automatically and transparently partitioning applications into components and dynamically placing these components on nodes within the ad hoc network, our system reduces energy consumption, avoids hotspots and increases system longevity. We show that a systems approach to automatic object placement in an ad hoc network can increase system longevity by a factor of four to five.