That’s exactly what I’m getting at and, I think, exactly what Valve is getting at. Plus, while it functions like a console, it’s still just a Linux box. Meaning that its functionality can be massively extended depending on the user. An Xbox is an Xbox. It will never do anything else, regardless of user preference. I really like the idea, and if it catches on, it means a large influx of Linux users.
It’s targeted towards people that primarily run console already. People that don’t have PCs, or have old, janky PCs. People that don’t know how to build or upgrade a PC. If you already roll your own, then you are not the demographic.
I agree. I build my own machines, this is not for me. I like the idea though. I know a lot of people that just have off-the-shelf PCs. They can barely troubleshoot a PC, let alone build one. It also moves people towards Linux and away from Win/Mac. which is a good thing.
I had a young guy in one of my Discord channels. I shit you not: he wanted to clean his PC, so he cracked it open, got a wet rag, and wiped all the internals down. Then he messaged us asking why his PC won’t turn on anymore. Bruh…
But the value-add for you? Nothing. You can just build your own shit. Most people can’t piece together a functional PC though. It’s a box with stuff in it.
Me personally? I like it. Beefy little gaming rig with a Linux-based OS? Yes please. Steam migrating more people towards Linux? Very big yes please. I’m unfortunately trapped in a dual-boot situation because Autodesk is a flaming pile of dumpster trash that only builds for Windows, but if Valve can move the needle, maybe that can change.
Their new Frame is also something I’m very interested in as well. The Index was crazy good when it came out. Dated now, sure, but the Frame addresses pretty much all of that. I’m glad to see they didn’t just bow out of the market, but instead put the proverbial pencil to paper and worked on coming up with something really good.
Not necessarily. Many off-shelf desktops are, let’s put it nicely, “highly optimized for mass production.” They may not have open slots required for upgrades. In the case of a GPU or CPU upgrade, the slot may be incompatible altogether, or, the mainboard may not have the proper bus to support the upgrade. I’ve had to sunset old machines that I built because I couldn’t upgrade them. Not because they were incapable, but because the supported hardware was no longer in production. The only option for a RAM upgrade was paying some dingus on eBay $500 for a stick that would have been $60 if it was still in production.
As I said: You’re a builder. It is not a value-add for you. You are not in their target demographic. I know a lot of people that would very much like to buy a gaming-ready PC that isn’t loaded with crapware though. The Steambox is an actual PC. It’s running SteamOS, which is just a Linux port. It has all the same functionality as a PC. If you don’t like SteamOS, then go install Wine, or Ubuntu, or whatever flavor of Linux you prefer. Nobody is stopping you.