Even With Steam Machines, Steam Linux Usage Stays Below 1%

[elbuglione]

'cause people are turds.
Look at me now, trying to setup a machine for my parents.. ok that could possibly be force fed Linux as long as it works but then what? They have the right to want Skype because other family turds have it, whose had been force fed Windows/Skype all together and don't even know about Linux existence, let alone Google Hangouts (and alternatives).
So what to do? Well, I tried it, Skype under Linux run.. but like crap: huge delays while typing, cpu fan starting to spin like nuts (this under Fefora/openSUSE, trying Antergos soon.. if any difference).
So this lately talking about MS opening the source of their crap (I'm not a developer but I have a racial stand against this fucking company).. and not able yet to provide a decent Linux Skype binary. Don't what's their plan, but for sure not helping the FOSS comunity, not the integration across different OSes. I'll propably even waste some money on Apple iCrap if no choice other than that, at least it looks usable.

I correct my self: people are not turds, we are turds and the right to be it.
Sorry for the a bit OT rant.. but majority people don't care about Linux, they're happy whatever system/machine let them go on facebook, do video calls, playing games at shooting someone. I can't blame manufacturers they're in it for the money but they're the one that can start selling machine with Linux pre-installed. But I never so one in any shop not even online (Dell, HP, Acer or whatever). At least Google (evil or not) released in the mainstream the Chromebook/box machines, what a relief.. but unfortunately that's a very limited OS.

sorry man, try again:

http://www.skype.com.ar/es/download-skype/skype-for-computer/

[sarmad]

Valve doesn't care what OS runs their BPM. They just want their Steam client and controller in the living room. If it's on Windows so be it. If Valve cared about their own OS they wouldn't have released BPM on Windows and Mac. It's either of two things: either Valve is preparing something behind the scenes for SteamOS, or Valve is simply giving up on SteamOS. Because at their current level of interest SteamOS is definitely on its way to die. They don't even advertise SteamOS games on their own Steam Hardware page, it's mostly Windows games on that page that is supposed to be the home page of Steam Machines!!
My guess is that it's only a matter of time before we read the news about the shut down of SteamOS, but who knows, I could be wrong. I hope I am.

[dungeon]

And it will probably stay that way. If you have a P4-era legacy computer and want to play games on it (those that came out back then), XP is pretty much the only choice. Wine will be too slow, so linux is out of question, vista and newer won't have proper video drivers. Some people even keep Win98 computers around for really old games, only Steam can't keep track of it, as it doesn't run on Win98.

I actually have something else in mind, that is a theory how equal amount of people 'keep whatever OS comes with machine and refuse to upgrade' vs ' install something else, like linux'.

For example there are people who said 'this is Windows 98 laptop (remember that it is not 'a laptop' it is 'Windows 98 laptop'), so nothing else made sense to install on it'... and those are actually majority of people

Major mentality is like that and it represent actual 'No Choice' way... whatever comes with machine keep it. Only ethusiasts are who like to have choice and to build their own hardware and software combinations - but that had been always vast minority.

[madjr]

Valve doesn't care what OS runs their BPM. They just want their Steam client and controller in the living room. If it's on Windows so be it. If Valve cared about their own OS they wouldn't have released BPM on Windows and Mac. It's either of two things: either Valve is preparing something behind the scenes for SteamOS, or Valve is simply giving up on SteamOS. Because at their current level of interest SteamOS is definitely on its way to die. They don't even advertise SteamOS games on their own Steam Hardware page, it's mostly Windows games on that page that is supposed to be the home page of Steam Machines!!
My guess is that it's only a matter of time before we read the news about the shut down of SteamOS, but who knows, I could be wrong. I hope I am.

Is like saying that just because Open source apps run in other OSs, they don't care for linux.

Not true and same for BPM, the more people use it , the more familiar they will be, so when they do the switch it will be basically painless.

Many people who actually use BPM in windows, like or want to use SteamOS, they just waiting for X game to appear.

But that's where Vulkan (aka mantle 2.0) will come in. If succesful it could do at some point to DX, what HTML5 is doing to Flash.

[jason.oliveira]

because the target hardware is varied, and reusing a well established binary distro is good enough.

you want to tweak it - install gentoo on it. nobody is preventing you from doing that.

if the target hardware was actually varied (I mean, it's all X86_64, right?), Gentoo would be an even stronger choice.

[HenryM]

I actually have something else in mind, that is a theory how equal amount of people 'keep whatever OS comes with machine and refuse to upgrade' vs ' install something else, like linux'.

For example there are people who said 'this is Windows 98 laptop (remember that it is not 'a laptop' it is 'Windows 98 laptop'), so nothing else made sense to install on it'... and those are actually majority of people

Major mentality is like that and it represent actual 'No Choice' way... whatever comes with machine keep it. Only ethusiasts are who like to have choice and to build their own hardware and software combinations - but that had been always vast minority.

Exactly. many people believe that there are "Macs and Computers" - that "PC" and "computer" are defined by the factory-installed OS, as long as it is a product of Microsoft. Apple does not make computers! Windows = PC = Computer. Apple only make Macs and Ipads/pods/phones.

Go figure.

Then again, that is how computers are advertised, at least where I live (BC Canada). Best buy puts out ads like "windows 8 CPU with HD screen" and "windows 10 computer - CPU only" (calling a midsize tower a "CPU" for whatever reason).

generally if it is already there and mostly works, Windows stays put. no questions asked.

a small percentage of the general public seem to know anything about Linux at all. if it isn't painfully obvious on a major online retailer, on TV or at a popular physical store, it will be noticed only by enthusiasts.

[Nille]

I always wondered - am I counted as Windows as my 4.2.6-200.fc22.x86_64 with fglrx 15.30.3 becomes in Survey:

Windows 7 (64 bit)
[B]Wine Version: wine-1.7.55 (Staging)[/B]

No, you don't.

[humbug]

Valve doesn't care what OS runs their BPM. They just want their Steam client and controller in the living room. If it's on Windows so be it. If Valve cared about their own OS they wouldn't have released BPM on Windows and Mac. It's either of two things: either Valve is preparing something behind the scenes for SteamOS, or Valve is simply giving up on SteamOS.

Valve makes the bulk of their money on windows based PC gaming. In that sense for short/medium term revenue they just want people using the steam store and they don't care if that is via Ubuntu, steamOS or windows. However for strategic reasons they are uncomfortable with the fact that PC gaming has become Windows gaming. That's why they are trying to promote cross/platform stuff and that's why they are trying to uplift Linux. They see Microsoft's current position in the industry as a potential threat to them (long term). With regard to doing Linux exclusive stuff that is something that will negatively affect Valve's reputation with customer's and game dev partners, also it would make them hypocrites considering what they have said I the past about exclusivity. E.g. right now Game devs who sell on steam are not prevented from simultaneously selling on other platforms like GOG, uplay and Origin, they don't ask for exclusivity clauses. People will get pissed if they start changing their philosophies and it will be perceived as artificially trying to prop up Linux.

I agree that steamOS needs a few more features though and Linux in general needs better gaming performance. Valve seems to have to some extent given up on openGL ecosystem.

[iq-0]

And saying that Steam Machines are available for a few weeks, when only talking about availability in the US, is a bit disingenuous. Most of the world still has a few weeks to wait before even being able to order one, let alone receive and use one.

[humbug]

And saying that Steam Machines are available for a few weeks, when only talking about availability in the US, is a bit disingenuous. Most of the world still has a few weeks to wait before even being able to order one, let alone receive and use one.

It's a survey of desktop OS usage anyway such as Mint, Debian, Ubuntu users and windows, MAC OSX users.
Apparently steamOS / BPM users don't get the survey which rules out steam machines.

I have got the survey many times on Linux but I don't use steamOS.