Steam OS or Windows?

[NuggetMrMan]

What do you guys think? With the release of valves Linux based operating system, do you think that it could replace windows as the main OS in everybody's gaming systems?

 

 

(I know that not many games run on Linux at the moment but if you could play all your favorite games on Steam OS would you make the switch?)

[Raboo]

Windows for life.

[Wferr]

Depends. SteamOS isnt even out.

[naca1227]

I don't know but as of right now Windows

[Darell3]

When steamOS does come out, first im going to test it on my other gaming machine and if the OS is alright, and if i can do things on steamOS that i do on Windows then i may consider installing it on my main rig.

 

BTW: Sign up for BETA

[helping]

It depends. Aside from gaming I kind of do a lot of other stuff on my pc..

[rashdanml]

SteamOS is just the start. I'm personally expecting many old titles to get ported to Linux, including major AAA titles. Valve's process of porting from DirectX to OpenGL is the key step to aid that process. In-house streaming may well be a temporary solution (which'll probably evolve into streaming from a SteamOS desktop to a less powerful SteamOS living room machine). 

[mgsstar]

I would still go with Windows OS as Steam OS may have compatibility problems with windows games if it supported it imo.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

If my favorite games were available on Linux I would most definitely be running Linux, not Steam OS though.

[Kirihuna]

Windows, mostly because Origin won't play well with Steam OS more than likely.

[Matsy]

SteamOS will take awhile to get proper support and establish itself and get most things working that windows does.

 

WIndows will be on my machine for the foreseeable future until SteamOS gets it self together (in a few versions time) and can support everything.

[Mooshi]

I'll try SteamOS, but I get the feeling it might be too niche to be a standard Linux distro. Until Linux has better audio support and more native apps, I'll be on Winders.

 

I do want Linux to gain more ground because it would only be an incentive for more software that used to be Windows/OS X only to be released for it. Yeah, there is WINE..but it isn't the same.

[ScubaChase]

Dual boot!

[Flojer0]

The only reason I run windows at all is because I play games on it. If I didn't play games or if all my games played on Linux I wouldn't bother touching windows. To me an OS is an OS, if there is a free option why pay money?

 

Plus I sometimes enjoy getting my hands dirty and Linux lets me do that more than windows.

[Xtreme Gamer]

Until SteamOS comes out and I test it to be sure I like it enough for it become my new primary gaming rig. Im sticking with Windows.

[QuantumGQ]

I'd probably just install them both, use Windows for the games that do not work on SteamOS / Work and SteamOS for all the games that do work on it (Ofcourse I am hoping all games will be compatible with SteamOS so that I can play all my games on there but you can never be sure about that).

[GoodBytes]

People vote for SteamOS without even thinking twice.

Ignoring the fact that many software are always behind their Windows version, even web browsers, like Chorme and Firefox are always behind Windows in term of quality, and sometimes features.

Linux is not as easy to use as Windows, and small easy things in Windows are more complicated on Linux,, making it annoying to use.

If Steam OS is based on Gnome, or well xWindows, for it's interface, that you'll face with horrible font rendering, making text hard to read, due to the poor font rendering engine.

That the rest of the system can have drivers issues, including the lack of  having official and well optimized Ethernet driver for the best online gaming experience, let alone even get your dedicated sound card to work. Not mention the fact that every time someone will send you a Office file, you're in for a journey in trying to read it's content with all it's formatting broken, despite using open standards for it's format, because there isn't much motivation for LibreOffice and OpenOffice development.I mean when LibreaOffice is announcing as a big feature the fact that you can rotate a picture 90 degrees on a document, it's a bit sad (http://www.libreoffice.org/download/4-1-new-features-and-fixes/)

 

Then we all assume that games will actually play better on SteamOS, which probably won't be case. And if it get some level of traction, I can't wait for OriginOS, and uPlayOS.

Yay, now we will be quadruple boot! What a mess that will be. And you know that will happen. I mean EA and Ubisoft has exclusive games on their own platform, so why not?

 

What people are miss understanding is what SteamOS is.

Steam OS is designed for the living room. It will be nothing more than BigPicture mode running at startup on Linux, essentially.

 -> Why did Microsoft failed with it's Media Center PC? I'll tell you why. First, you needed to buy a copy of Windows, for it, and we had a hard time justifying the cost of an OS for the purpose of Media Center.

Second, we want the latest version of Media Center, naturally, and want a smooth experience, so we need to connect on the TV an adequate old computer. Basically, it can't be too old, might require hardware upgrade, depending on the system age. That is more added cost. Third, on top of all these costs, you have the peripheral to buy so that you can use it properly.

 

SteamOS, will mostly stream your PC games on your TV. That means, that it can run on really low end hardware. All you need to get is perhaps a HTPC case, new quieter fans, and Valve controller, for a nice setup. Or they'll sell these 300$ computer for this, kinda like buying an Nvidia ION platform for this.. you'll be streaming nearly all games, so why not.

 

In the end, as you'll be still using your main PC, might as well connect it to your TV directly and start Big Picture Mode? I guess it's great, if your TV is far away from your computer.

But yea. It's just mostly a streaming OS. And I am sure all these companies that says that their AAA game will be SteamOS compatible, just means that they'll test the streaming feature. Basically, like multi-platform games that claims that they'll use each console unique abilities, where it's some ultra gimmick or some small command to execute for that console that does things. For example, recording game footage and sending on the web, or in the case of the WiiU, allow the game to switch on the controller (Yay?!) and not actually take advantage of the console unique abilities.

[RazeG3SG1]

I chose windows as I'm not only gaming on my PC. 

[rashdanml]

What people are miss understanding is what SteamOS is.

Steam OS is designed for the living room. It will be nothing more than BigPicture mode running at startup on Linux, essentially.

This goes against Valve's ultimate goal. Yes, the primary focus is gaming on Linux, but that's not the only thing they're trying to accomplish. Promoting Linux and open-ness means they'll have to release SteamOS as a fully functioning, desktop OS along the lines of every other Linux distribution. Consumers being locked into Big Picture makes it no different from the closed systems (Consoles) that Valve takes issue with. 

 

Side note regarding OriginOS and uPlayOS - Why reinvent the wheel? If both companies come to their senses, both will switch to supporting SteamOS. It's a matter of how much time that'll take.

 

Steam Machines will come in a range of hardware configurations from full-fledged desktops to low end HTPC type systems. Each will serve it's desired purpose from being a simple streaming device to a full desktop-grade performance machine. The lower end hardware will be mostly streaming from desktop to Steam Machine - willing to bet anything the RaspberryPi will have a SteamPi out very soon after SteamOS launches. 

 

UI issues with Desktop Environments is part of what Valve should be, and perhaps will be/are, working on as part of SteamOS. All that remains is to see what SteamOS is all about. Same goes for driver issues. Ubuntu is one of the few distributions that work completely out of the box with pretty much all hardware. SteamOS being based off it means a strong likelihood of drivers not being an issue for key hardware components. 

 

They've already achieved improved gaming performance with SteamOS. 

 

In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level. Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.

 

With regards to the first point about being locked into Big Picture;

Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want.

 

SteamOS is going to release the full source where possible. Even if, for some bizarre reason, you're locked into Big Picture, it'll be instantly modded to take advantage of the Linux desktop space. Valve probably realizes that already and won't lock consumers into Big Picture as a result. 

[ttam]

SteamOS is meant to be for a small PC in your living room connected to your TV.

 

Not a replacement for Windows.

[Mooshi]

-le snip-

 

That reminds me of how god awful Skype is for Linux. I couldn't get it run in the latest Ubuntu and in Linux Mint 15, it installed, but wow. It's as bad as a mac version.

[GoodBytes]

This goes against Valve's ultimate goal. Yes, the primary focus is gaming on Linux, but that's not the only thing they're trying to accomplish. Promoting Linux and open-ness means they'll have to release SteamOS as a fully functioning, desktop OS along the lines of every other Linux distribution. Consumers being locked into Big Picture makes it no different from the closed systems (Consoles) that Valve takes issue with.

That's like Microsoft going and saying "we are open!" Valve is not not open. If they were open, Steam would be open to all for publishing, and have no DRM, as that goes against the hole open-ness, so start with.

Side note regarding OriginOS and uPlayOS - Why reinvent the wheel? If both companies come to their senses, both will switch to supporting SteamOS. It's a matter of how much time that'll take.

Worked well for Steam... we now have Origin and uPlay.

Also, Microsoft can do it with the XBox One.. now you don't need "another box".

 

They've already achieved improved gaming performance with SteamOS.

Yes code that is further optimize will run better than code that was not touched for many years, in terms of optimizing it.

 

SteamOS is going to release the full source where possible. Even if, for some bizarre reason, you're locked into Big Picture, it'll be instantly modded to take advantage of the Linux desktop space. Valve probably realizes that already and won't lock consumers into Big Picture as a result.

I never said it would be lock, but by default will start in big picture mode.

[rashdanml]

-snip-

1) Steam's DRM is sensible and minimal. Family sharing improves on it. 

2) In all honesty, Origin and Uplay are futile attempts to take on Steam. Only a matter of time before both companies realize it. 

3) You're implicitly assuming it'll be locked when you say SteamOS is essentially Ubuntu booting into Big picture by default. You're also implying that SteamOS and Windows aren't a fair comparison - hence, your opening statement about people not knowing what SteamOS is in actuality. The more logical assumption about SteamOS is that it's a full-fledged desktop operating system built around Linux and heavily integrated with Steam - yet still allowing you to modify the OS in any way you want to to take advantage of productivity tools on Linux. If the latter is true (and I'm almost certain it will be), it's a fair comparison/replacement to Windows - in due time. 

[GoodBytes]

1) Steam's DRM is sensible and minimal. Family sharing improves on it.

Either you are open or not. There is no "sensible". It goes against Linux open'ness mentality. You should know this.

It's already been complained about by the Linux community.

 

2) In all honesty, Origin and Uplay are futile attempts to take on Steam. Only a matter of time before both companies realize it.

That is your opinion. They are both doing well enough to be profitable.

 

3) You're implicitly assuming it'll be locked when you say SteamOS is essentially Ubuntu booting into Big picture by default. You're also implying that SteamOS and Windows aren't a fair comparison - hence, your opening statement about people not knowing what SteamOS is in actuality. The more logical assumption about SteamOS is that it's a full-fledged desktop operating system built around Linux and heavily integrated with Steam - yet still allowing you to modify the OS in any way you want to to take advantage of productivity tools on Linux. If the latter is true (and I'm almost certain it will be), it's a fair comparison/replacement to Windows - in due time.

Steam will be open, when the source code for the entire DRM system is made public, source code included.

[SirReallySam]

I hope to have an old PC relaying the picture on Steam OS from my Windows PC so I can lounge around and play on a controller on a sofa but still have Windows... I like Windows. But I did try Ubuntu for a while.