It’s likely the steam machine will be repairable, what makes you think otherwise?
Not everyone loves to build a computer, look for compatible parts, compare 100 prices, choose a distro, spend 2 or 3 days troubleshooting unexpected things anyhow… The appeal of this box for people who want a “decent” hardware with steam/Linux on an open machine (free to install whatever you want afterwards) plug and play ready out of the box looks pretty damn big too me, if the price will be low enough. Not everyone is a tinkerer to the same degree or has enough time for it. This will for sure open Linux to a broader audience, that are interested but scared or short on skill/knowledge/time. Plus you get support, the real kind, not only random people on forums. Maybe it’s not for you, but to me the appeal is enormous. If it’s priced sharp enough I’ll probably get one and make it my “smart” TV device.
It has a custom soc that is most likely soldered and most of the components (except maybe storage and ram) are custom as well. If you need to repair it, you depend on steam still providing the parts. I doubt the parts will be available in retail stores, so that’s another inconvenience. Upgrading (the cpu/gpu, etc) will also probably be impossible.
Also, building a pc is a lot simpler than you make it out to be. Not sure what you mean about that “support” bit either. People have always been fixing their computers getting help online. Either from forums or manufacturers.
To top it off, the “benefits” you’re mentioning are literally the same as if you bought a prebuilt pc.
The steam deck seems very repairable, I would be surprised if this machine won’t be. They know their core customers and how to please them.
It’s simple for you and people you know to build a pc and install an operating system. I think that kind of people % of total population is way smaller than you think it is.
And prebuilt PCs 95+ % of the time come with windows and all crap it brings along pre-installed. Really, installing Linux seems child play for you and me but for the vast majority of the population it’s still a big big scary thing to try. On top, I expect for the hardware you get it will be very well priced, just like steamdeck was, because the real revenue is customer bonding and steam purchases.
It’s likely the steam machine will be repairable, what makes you think otherwise?
Not everyone loves to build a computer, look for compatible parts, compare 100 prices, choose a distro, spend 2 or 3 days troubleshooting unexpected things anyhow… The appeal of this box for people who want a “decent” hardware with steam/Linux on an open machine (free to install whatever you want afterwards) plug and play ready out of the box looks pretty damn big too me, if the price will be low enough. Not everyone is a tinkerer to the same degree or has enough time for it. This will for sure open Linux to a broader audience, that are interested but scared or short on skill/knowledge/time. Plus you get support, the real kind, not only random people on forums. Maybe it’s not for you, but to me the appeal is enormous. If it’s priced sharp enough I’ll probably get one and make it my “smart” TV device.
It has a custom soc that is most likely soldered and most of the components (except maybe storage and ram) are custom as well. If you need to repair it, you depend on steam still providing the parts. I doubt the parts will be available in retail stores, so that’s another inconvenience. Upgrading (the cpu/gpu, etc) will also probably be impossible.
Also, building a pc is a lot simpler than you make it out to be. Not sure what you mean about that “support” bit either. People have always been fixing their computers getting help online. Either from forums or manufacturers.
To top it off, the “benefits” you’re mentioning are literally the same as if you bought a prebuilt pc.
The steam deck seems very repairable, I would be surprised if this machine won’t be. They know their core customers and how to please them.
It’s simple for you and people you know to build a pc and install an operating system. I think that kind of people % of total population is way smaller than you think it is.
And prebuilt PCs 95+ % of the time come with windows and all crap it brings along pre-installed. Really, installing Linux seems child play for you and me but for the vast majority of the population it’s still a big big scary thing to try. On top, I expect for the hardware you get it will be very well priced, just like steamdeck was, because the real revenue is customer bonding and steam purchases.
Do you have a favorite pre-built PC that ships with Linux and Steam installed?
That’s something I want pretty badly, but haven’t run across a good lead for.
With a good recommendation, I might not wait for (the Steam Machine in) January!