[DrCaleb]

Curtman Curtman:

Hopefully the second countdown in this 3 part announcement will tell us something about the hardware. The Google Chromecast is a device that lets you put that smartphone display up on the TV.

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SteamOS's ability to stream games from a secondary Windows PC to a TV, it's likely that steam-friendly boxes will become a new niche in manufacturers' line-ups alongside desktops, laptops and tablets. In the past, managing director and Valve frontman Gabe Newell has been outspoken about device-to-device streaming technology, calling out the Miracast technology by name as a means to deliver Windows-centric Steam content to low-cost TV-connected devices. Given this, it's likely that Steam Boxes will exist in two flavors once the OS gets rolling: low-cost devices that stream games from discrete gaming PCs running Windows, and dedicated Linux gaming PCs from third-party manufacturers.

This sounds a lot like that.

Second announcement: Steam Machine!

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamMachines/

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Finally, a multiple choice answer
Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS.

Questions!
When can I buy one?!
Beginning in 2014, there will be multiple SteamOS machines to choose from, made by different manufacturers.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Curtman Curtman:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

saturn_656 saturn_656:

I'm sorry, but you can't play a "real game" on a smartphone unless your gaming presences trend towards dreck like FarmVille or solitaire.

Smartphone gaming.

What a joke.

Seconded. Like watching TV on a phone. "No no, I dont' want that 42" TV for $500, let me have that 4" one for $700!"

I'll take games at 5760 X 1080 and 3 1/2 feet of horizontal display over 4" in the palm of my hand anyday.

Hopefully the second countdown in this 3 part announcement will tell us something about the hardware. The Google Chromecast is a device that lets you put that smartphone display up on the TV.

Whoop-dee shit. I can put my desktop or laptop displays on my TV as well, with oodles more computing power than a crappy smartphone. And in the case of my laptops, for cheaper than most smartphones.

[Curtman]

Valve's SteamOS Now Available To Download; Linux Virgins Cautioned

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Valve’s SteamOS is now freely available for download, but be warned that the installation procedure and general use is aimed squarely at the technically savvy for now.

SteamOS is based on Debian Linux, and is in part designed for streaming Windows-based Steam games to secondary computers– built by you or a boutique vendor like iBuyPower – running the new operating system. The end goal is to have the vast majority of Steam games running natively on SteamOS, an accomplishment being pursued by both Valve and Nvidia NVDA -0.63% engineers who are embedded at the company’s headquarters.

Right now though, Valve is distributing SteamOS 1.0 (codenamed “Alchemist”) to brave souls familiar with Linux and probably comfortable inside a Terminal window. Valve has also cautioned that either of their installation methods — one using a proprietary installer and one the Debian Linux installer — will format everything currently on your PC. I’m positive that future versions of SteamOS will allow users to partition drives and resize their Windows installation as they see fit.

Like Windows and most versions of Linux, SteamOS will auto-update with bug fixes and new features, but a quick read through Valve’s new FAQ indicates that version 1.0 is far from robust. For the time being, it feels like Valve is casting a wider net to gauge the user experience of the OS itself. Still, for Steam fans passionate about Steam Machines and an alternative (read: free) operating system to enjoy PC games, it should be satisfying to get in on the ground floor.

SteamOS and Steam Machines will eventually be compatible with AMD and Intel INTC -0.78% graphics hardware, but this version lists compatibility for Nvidia GPUs only. While that’s sure to start a flame war between Team TISI -1.09% Red and Team Green, it’s possible that the respective drivers simply aren’t ready for primetime yet.

Users will also need a 500GB or larger disk (that seems steep?), 4GB of RAM, UEFI boot support, and a 64-bit processor.

Valve’s homegrown operating system was designed out of a desire to build the best possible environment for Steam and its users, in addition to Gabe Newell’s public dislike of Windows. The Valve boss recently called Windows 8 “a catastrophe.”

I’m downloading SteamOS as I type this and look forward to tinkering with it. While I’m no “intrepid Linux hacker” (the demographic targeted for this first release according to Valve’s Greg Coomer), I’ve installed and used everything from Red Hat to SuSE to Ubuntu and can find my way around basic Terminal commands.

Would any of my readers less acquainted with Linux be interested in an install guide?

Read Valve’s SteamOS FAQ and installation steps here. Download Version 1.0 here.