SteamOS Now Available For Download

[Icehearted]

I am tremendously intrigued to see how this develops. Less compelling on the viability front, more compelling on the justifiability. Granted a full-fledged OS that handles itself on newer code than Windows would be nice, but hell, the gamer in me just loves the idea that this could herald a new approach to streamlined operating systems. Hardly the start of a golden age, but a start is a start!

There's already a thread on the Steam Forums complaining about how he/she deleted all of his/her data. Handle with care, children!

I'm amazed this is even a thing. I figured the nature of this OS implied pretty clearly that this would happen.

The only reason to even consider installing this thing on my PC would be if it runs games with a lot better fps than windows.

The only reason anyone should consider SteamOS or a SteamBox is if they can't handle PC gaming with all it's maintenance, yes for the knowledgeable this is a cakewalk but for a novice hell let's even say my sister who has been using PCs for well over 10 years that is a bucket of mystery she would never go near without having me to fix everything.

So when SteamOS is done it may be a gaming for dummies standard, but it isn't now and it sure as hell will not be the more versatile OS.

Well said!

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

There's already a thread on the Steam Forums complaining about how he/she deleted all of his/her data. Handle with care, children!

I'm amazed this is even a thing. I figured the nature of this OS implied pretty clearly that this would happen.

I should have specified this happened when the OS was installed (as it does with ALL OS'), but yes. Hell, I only found out a few days ago that doing so would wipe your data (not the hard way), but the integrity of data is something I would have thought anyone who knows even a little about computers would have been wary with, especially with a Beta OS.

 

[Kurt Cristal]

Well I was hoping to give the operating a system a shot on my old laptop, but the the minimum specs are too high for it. Ah well, guess I'll have to wait for the release of the actual console then.

 

[evenest]

They should have made the warning label bigger for it and type in big bold comic sans [HEADING=2]PARTITION YOU'RE GOD DAMN HDD[/HEADING]

Even if they'd have done that people still would have installed it over their current OS. I know not everyone has done this before but at least read the instructions if you haven't.

Why would they accuse people of being hard drives?

I read that more like:

Partition, you are god; damn HDD!

I haven't been part of too many beta tests, but I don't think I would mind being part of this one. I'm not sure that I could put in the time to be of any use to anyone at this point. If it works as promised, I am all for it. I like the idea that games will not be forced to become operating-system-obsolete. I also don't plan on getting a Windows 8 machine, so if games start coming out that require that system, I am going to be in trouble.

 

[ForumSafari]

You know, how the hell do people NOT know reformatting deletes your data?

This just in: Generally speaking people are really bad at computers.

Seriously though it's extremely worrying isn't it?

Given that SteamOS uses the standard Linux Runtime, Skype ought to work fine on it.

Even better, if SteamOS is going to be using Debian as a base and drawing updates automatically it'll already have apt-get on there, Skype is in the Debian repository I think so you should be able to pull it using apt-get install.

 

[Ickorus]

you get people who know what their doing and those that shouldn't be allowed near a computer ever.

You missed the third and worst type, those that think they know what they're doing but fall just short of the mark.

They know enough to get in to sensitive areas but not enough to know what they're doing when they hit that point, I imagine that's where the majority of wiped OSes are coming from.

 

[gorfias]

Just get the non-Valve-ified Linux. *shrug*

I need me a GUI. Ubuntu requires only 1/2 Gig RAM, a good thing. I do have to wonder if it is as optimized for gaming as Steam OS. Will it use graphics drivers better or worse or no difference? Will the Steam controller work better, worse, no different regardless of OS? In Ubuntu, you'd be running Steam over over Ubuntu's own OS. More over-head?

If the answer is no difference, I think you are right. At least Ubuntu has browsers and multiple developers working on it. And you can still only play games for Linux, either way.

I saw a demo of a guy playing Metro Last Light on youtube. Might just be youtube video, but it looked a step down for it going from DX 11 to OpenGl.

I'm still waiting for more results and hoping. If Linux really catches up to the DX world, I'll be building me another rig, even if I don't need one.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Its meant to be optimized for games.

Okay, let's have the folks try it out then and we'll see whether there's any reason to switch. Although when I hear "optimized for games", I tend to - perhaps unfairly - think "reduced functionality in other areas".

Well... duh? This isn't supposed to be the end-all-be-all OS that everyone needs to use. It's an OS for people who like to game; especially those who use their PC exclusively for gaming. The whole point of using it over Windows is that you don't have Windows running several needless programs in the background, taking-up resource space that could be used towards processing the game faster.

Also, this is good for Windows. By releasing an OS specifically for gaming, they are forcing Microsoft to step-up their game and deliver a better product with the next Windows, otherwise future versions of Windows are going to see a large drop in sales when several gamers opt to just install the Steam OS as their only OS.

 

[Do4600]

Beta operating systems are a headache, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody unless you have a huge amount of free time, are very experienced with linux and are willing to do a lot of troubleshooting work to see something new.

Meanwhile at Valve, everyone is laughing at all the people who deleted windows accidentally while installing Steam OS. They must now accept their new overlord.

Because when you install an OS you're stuck with it forever.

 

[DrOswald]

There's already a thread on the Steam Forums complaining about how he/she deleted all of his/her data. Handle with care, children!

I'm amazed this is even a thing. I figured the nature of this OS implied pretty clearly that this would happen.

I should have specified this happened when the OS was installed (as it does with ALL OS'), but yes. Hell, I only found out a few days ago that doing so would wipe your data (not the hard way), but the integrity of data is something I would have thought anyone who knows even a little about computers would have been wary with, especially with a Beta OS.

My previous IT experience is that, besides a very small population of tech savvy people, no one worries about data in any way until they lose it, despite multiple warnings from the IT department that someday your computer will crash or get infected or get run over by a bus. At which time they come to me and tell me that it is my job to spend days trying to make up for their idiocy. I mean, we even bought you a hard drive and installed automatic backup software! All you needed to do was plug it in for 10 minutes once a day!

And do you know what the worst part is? Even after this happens, they still fail to backup their data.

But that was my previous job. Now some other sucker has to deal with it.