Well that is the only thing that I have found to be the "fears" of by developers and misinformed people especially with the "closed market" comments. WIndows 8 is as closed as WIndows 7. So if Gabe and other people want to go in depth why WIndows 8 is bad other than the slippery slope argument they are welcome to but other than Metro horrible design I have found nothing for "Windows 8 to be a catastrophe". That comment is as bad as a compiler "There is an error between the first line and the last line."
Windows 8
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Posted 10 months ago #
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I think it's pretty obvious that that's exactly what they mean, but they aren't going to make any moves until Microsoft pulls the trigger.
Newell said Valve were hedging their bets by exploring Ubuntu, and he mentioned margins being destroyed, both of which would only apply to a future iteration of windows, and only if it was a closed platform.
None of that has any bearing on an optional storefront, which is little more than harmless competition. Microsoft are a lot worse at selling their stuff than EA, so I don't see why anyone would fear them. The app store on the PC is only aimed at Metro apps anyway, so I don't see why that was ever considered a point of contention.
Time will tell.
If those fears prove to be right, you'll get some very specific speeches on why it's bad from a wide range of top executives, most of whom will be scrambling for an alternative to Windows.
If they prove to be wrong, none of those guys will be rocking the boat, but we'll still have an accessible, open platform full of all the software we could ever want.
And no matter which one it is, Valve are still going to spend millions trying to bring gaming to Linux.
It's a win/win. Pun intended.
Posted 10 months ago # -
*Stupid doublepost*
Posted 10 months ago # -
Linux is a non-threat with no support from hardware manufacturers and software developer. Linux is nothing other than a gimped version of OS and Steam putting their client will do nothing for Linux not with out a lot of support. Its why linux users dual boot into WIndows especially the developers who use WIndows specific software like AUtodesk, scaleform, bink, adobe products. Linux has a looooong way to go to catch up. If AUtodesk or Adobe said WIndows were bad mojo those would be the people I would listen to not a guy that runs a storefront or a person that runs a browser least used than IE. Which they have said nothing of the sort and neither has anyone else.
Valve is not the only thing needed to make Linux successful. Not to mention that Governments widely use WIndows. You would need one really bad apple for MS to drop off the face of the map and Linux come on top. People would be more than likely go to apple before linux.
" both of which would only apply to a future iteration of windows, and only if it was a closed platform."
Again slippery slope argument. MS is not going to ignore doing things knowing that it could damage their potential revenue if they do something like bring the PC back into the 90s.
Posted 10 months ago # -
From what I hear, Linux adoption is at an all time high.
http://www.datamation.com/osrc/article.php/3898206/LinuxCon-Analysts-Linux-Is-Winning.htm
Why waste money on an expensive corporate license if you can pay much less and achieve the same efficiency?
It's not hard to make the common end user pay extra for something because of style or trends, but for a corporation, it's all about the bottom line.
Which isn't to say anything for Linux as an actual competitor to Windows, or Valves chances of success, but it would be foolish to use government and corporate interests as an example. They love Linux. The money they save is always needed elsewhere.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Linux is good if you are using the basics like word processing, internet browsing but if you need a windows dependent software like I had mentioned earlier than people flock to Windows.
I have rarely seen Linux used the only time I would see it is if the sys or network adminstrator was using it on their laptop but the actual development? Nope not all. I use it occasionally if I am forced to use an Apple PC.
Posted 10 months ago # -
DSB being a cowardly jerk and attacking people where the weasel believes they'll never see? Imagine that. I point out he's making himself look a bit foolish in the comments sections of a few articles... and he gets so astoundingly neurotic about it that he ends up transforming himself into the boy who cried TheWulf.
It's nice to know that I make you so insecure that you feel the need to do this, DSB. Good job. You're a credit to us all.
Anyway, there are a few valid concerns surrounding Windows 8, though they're not the ones that Gabe Newell and company have really raised. An immediate worry is UEFI - the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. Microsoft, if they decide to be particularly nefarious, could use their leverage to force hardware manufacturers to turn the PC into a closed platform, meaning that you can't install Linux on such a computer.
Now, consider: If they lock out Linux and then they add restrictions against installing applications like Steam later on, it could turn bad. It could.
Will it likely? Probably not. It's likely a lot of fear-mongering and FUD. But there are a few things about all this that do make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. One of the reasons I enjoy the PC as a platform is because it's open - I can mod, I can tinker, and I feel like a PC is truly mine in ways that a console or an iOS device isn't.
Now, that's not to say that iOS devices or consoles are bad, they aren't. I own a console and an iOS device, but it saddens me that I can never mod games, I can never get under the hood. If there's something that's bothering me, I can't fix it.
If Microsoft were amazingly myopic to the big picture, they might believe that locking the PC down and making it the home equivalent to the surface might actually be the way to make the most profits. But they've mostly been more sensible than that, and do they really want to incur the wrath of International courts, again? The US and the EU have both torn chunks out of them. I don't think they want that noise.
And imagine what sort of court case could be raised against them if they were caught in the act of leveraging hardware manufacturers into turning the PC into a closed platform.
Now, I'm smart enough to know this, so I'm going to believe that they definitely are, and that it'll be really foolish to actually do any of what the FUD suggests might happen. I'm going to keep an eye open, but the sky isn't falling.
Posted 10 months ago # -
"Anyway, there are a few valid concerns surrounding Windows 8, though they're not the ones that Gabe Newell and company have really raised. An immediate worry is UEFI - the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. Microsoft, if they decide to be particularly nefarious, could use their leverage to force hardware manufacturers to turn the PC into a closed platform, meaning that you can't install Linux on such a computer."
That is not happening though Most of the big contenders of Linux will have UEFI that they paid for.
Posted 10 months ago #
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