Gabe Newell: Valve will release its own console-like PC

[Billy Idol]

I have the feeling that Steam uses this first beta tests as a waking up call for AMD.

So far, in my experience, Linux support for AMD graphics hardware is way behind Linux support from NVidia...so it comes as no surprise that for the Linux based SteamOS they go with NVidia hardware...at the moment.

They probably hope to put pressure on AMD with this first obvious NVidia preference....maybe Mantle is also for Linux?

Another theory: it could be a reason that NVidia did not care much about participating in the next gen console fight, because they had some exclusive Steam Box contracts...but I highly doubt this at the moment, as this would be way to restrictive for the PC gaming crowd...

 

[Cjail]

...And related, if it is targeted to console buyers, would they not complain about no Blu-ray (assuming it doesn't have one) and inability to buy games at Gamestop/Walmart?

I don't think Stem Box is aimed to console players, I get a strong "made for PC players, that want to play in the living-room" message.
Why should a console player with zero or few games on Steam choose SteamBox and not continue gaming on PS or Xbox?

 

[Davros]

You nail a point, it will be virtually impossible to buy games outside of Steam.

Are valve going to disallow installing windows ?

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Are valve going to disallow installing windows ?

No. They say you can install whatever yiou want, even in the 300 Steam Boxes they're giving away for beta testing.

 

[liolio]

I'ld say Samsung would be more likely

WRT steam hardware - too much variance

I have the feeling that Steam uses this first beta tests as a waking up call for AMD.

So far, in my experience, Linux support for AMD graphics hardware is way behind Linux support from NVidia...so it comes as no surprise that for the Linux based SteamOS they go with NVidia hardware...at the moment.

They probably hope to put pressure on AMD with this first obvious NVidia preference....maybe Mantle is also for Linux?

Another theory: it could be a reason that NVidia did not care much about participating in the next gen console fight, because they had some exclusive Steam Box contracts...but I highly doubt this at the moment, as this would be way to restrictive for the PC gaming crowd...

I don't see how AMD is asleep on the matter, it is not like Nvidia designed something custom for Valve. It is plain off the shelves parts.
The IHV that will put Steambox together are likely to use whatever they want.
Nvidia messed up on consoles, there is nothing announced that makes me think that they are working closely with Valve to push out something custom.
The Steambox is a Linux PC, that all there is to it for now. I've steam on my PC right now I see few benefits on switching or even installing a dual boot on my machine. Now I were to put another PC together I could save on Windows and put extra money on hardware or spend less (but I bought Windows 8 so in fact it is a not a factor right now).
Valve has a lot to prove, SteamOS is based on linux, they have to do a good job at keeping things up to date, etc. I know that MSFT as a company is close to universally hated by lots of geeks and people of my generation and younger but for all its lacking (UI mostly...) windows has grown into a pretty awesome OS, stable, secured, recognize any hardware mostly, etc.

 

[Davros]

I have steam on linux not tried it though since ive also got steam on windows
also I was pleasantly surprised by wine I expected it to be awful

 

[tuna]

Valve has a lot to prove, SteamOS is based on linux, they have to do a good job at keeping things up to date, etc. I know that MSFT as a company is close to universally hated by lots of geeks and people of my generation and younger but for all its lacking (UI mostly...) windows has grown into a pretty awesome OS, stable, secured, recognize any hardware mostly, etc.

Linux and Linux based OSs are even better at all that.

 

[liolio]

Linux and Linux based OSs are even better at all that.

I remember a while a go an article about how many linux machine was completely unsecured because pretty much really few knows how to set it right.
Lat time I installed ubuntu on a laptop it would not recognize all the hardware, XP did (I was late to jump to 7 and passed on vista altogether).
Now my newer laptop runs windows 8 and windows 7 before that, the system did not crash in 2 years, I use the built in anti virus, I did not bother toying with the firewall, the PC still runs great.
May be Linux is even more stable but I'm not sure under which circumstances I would notice.
Are drivers better on Linux? I was not under that impression.
Linux might be great is still ain't a workable alternative to Windows for most users, it has nothing to do with technical merit.

Valve has a lot of work to do so it works for lots of gamers they will never get how to properly configure a firewall, etc.

If Linux was a workable for most users I'm sure lot of HIV would pass on paying MSFT a rent. Now there are other "free OS" that are workable alternative and HIV actually pass on pay MSFT its rent (ChromeOS comes to mind) and push those products. They are based on 'linux" and Unix before that but that is not what makes those OS good /valid alternative.
The merits of an OS go a bit further than how well written its kernel is.

 

[BoardBonobo]

The majority of current Linux releases are very stable and secure out of the box. Driver and hardware support has been nailed in most distros; mint, fedora etc.

Because of the nature of my work I have been 100% Linux based for the last 4 years, swapping back to windows only when forced to. For day to day tasks like web browsing and office duties you have access to all the software you need. And it all works impeccably.

When you look at the state of the market, with Linux, or flavour of, powering most smart phones, the majority of the web, and nearly every high powered computing cluster in the world it makes quite a lot of sense for valve to move forward with it for their device.

It's faster, slimmer, and far more flexible than windows. You also have the been benefit of a large and active community of developers which means that new technologies are integrated far faster than windows which has held back progress on the PC for years. MS, for all its wealth, is just one company and our reliance on their ability to progress technology is the biggest problem with the whole computing industry.

Sent from my Xperia Z using Forum Runner

 

[Gubbi]

I've been running Ubuntu since 9.04, it has come a long way. Getting your GFX card to work properly four years ago was nigh on impossible.

It's still not a walk in the park, I spend several nights last year getting my 7970GHz to work properly on Ubuntu 12.04, in particular HDMI audio was a struggle.

At work, my workstation had a series of crashes around 9 months ago. Turns out it was the integrated Intel graphics that crashed whenever it came out of sleep or hibernation. I had to use an older kernel to get stability (luckily I hadn't purged those !!). This is probably an Intel thing, but it took months to get corrected.

As for slim. That entirely depends on what window manager you stack on top of Linux, running Unity on Compiz is not slim; As I type this, X+Compiz uses a little less than 2GB.

I would still not recommend Linux for regular desptop users. For PC gamers that are used to fiddle around with drivers, yeah, that might work. IMO, Valve would need to set up a qualification program where specific combinations of hardware are validated, and only those configurations gets a Steambox sticker.

Linux is great for software developers because you have a ton of software two minutes away. Either in package form, in self contained installers or you can build from source if you so desire.

Cheers

 

[Davros]

Or valve could create a live cd so people can test before they install steam o/s

 

[Scott_Arm]

I've been running Ubuntu since 9.04, it has come a long way. Getting your GFX card to work properly four years ago was nigh on impossible.

It's still not a walk in the park, I spend several nights last year getting my 7970GHz to work properly on Ubuntu 12.04, in particular HDMI audio was a struggle.

At work, my workstation had a series of crashes around 9 months ago. Turns out it was the integrated Intel graphics that crashed whenever it came out of sleep or hibernation. I had to use an older kernel to get stability (luckily I hadn't purged those !!). This is probably an Intel thing, but it took months to get corrected.

As for slim. That entirely depends on what window manager you stack on top of Linux, running Unity on Compiz is not slim; As I type this, X+Compiz uses a little less than 2GB.

I would still not recommend Linux for regular desptop users. For PC gamers that are used to fiddle around with drivers, yeah, that might work. IMO, Valve would need to set up a qualification program where specific combinations of hardware are validated, and only those configurations gets a Steambox sticker.

Linux is great for software developers because you have a ton of software two minutes away. Either in package form, in self contained installers or you can build from source if you so desire.

Cheers

My guess is that Valve will be working close with Nvidia, AMD and Intel to get quality drivers, and the OS updates will be a little bit more reserved than what you'd normally see with Linux. I wouldn't expect them to keep their kernel up to date with other variants, preferring stability instead.

 

[trainplane]

Valve says they will use AMD in addition to Nvidia for production machines in 2014.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053680/valve-amd-based-steam-machines-are-also-en-route.html

 

[tuna]

Ubuntu != Linux.

Also, unless you use AMD's or Nvidia's proprietary stuff, you never really have to "fiddle" with any drivers. Either things work or they don't.

 

[Gubbi]

Ubuntu != Linux.

What do you mean by that ?

Ubuntu uses the Linux kernel, therefore it is Linux. It's not the only distro, it's just the most common one.

Also, unless you use AMD's or Nvidia's proprietary stuff, you never really have to "fiddle" with any drivers. Either things work or they don't.

How are you not going to use Nvidia's proprietary stuff, as they don't have an open source driver initiative ?

And if a driver update stops your games from working properly, how do you avoid fiddling with drivers ?

Cheers

 

[tuna]

What do you mean by that ?

Ubuntu uses the Linux kernel, therefore it is Linux. It's not the only distro, it's just the most common one.

Ubuntu uses Linux, it is not Linux. I use a car, am I a car?

 

[tuna]

What do you mean by that ?


How are you not going to use Nvidia's proprietary stuff, as they don't have an open source driver initiative ?

And if a driver update stops your games from working properly, how do you avoid fiddling with drivers ?

Cheers

Use Noveou (spelling?) that is actually released with Linux (and the user space bits in XOrg).

The point is that you can't really fiddle with Linux drivers like you can do in Windows (randomly click in guis and maybe reinstall earlier versions). If you want to change stuff you basically have to develop and recompile.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Ubuntu != Linux.

Ubuntu uses Linux, it is not Linux. I use a car, am I a car?

That was definitely the most over-the-top opinion/argument/suggestion I've ever seen or heard about Ubuntu or Linux.

 

[Gubbi]

Use Noveou (spelling?) that is actually released with Linux (and the user space bits in XOrg).

With a fraction of the performance, features and stability of the 3rd party binary driver? Don't think so.

The point is that you can't really fiddle with Linux drivers like you can do in Windows (randomly click in guis and maybe reinstall earlier versions). If you want to change stuff you basically have to develop and recompile.

No, you can't usually fiddle with drivers in Linux by clicking in random windows. You can however modprobe individual drivers (old and new) in and out of the kernel and add/remove 3rd party binary drivers.

Cheers

 

[DrJay24]

Ubuntu uses Linux, it is not Linux. I use a car, am I a car?

Ubuntu is a Linux distro. A Civic is a car, not all cars are Civics.