this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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I'm as happy about this news as the next tech enthusiast, but bluntly, it's not a big shift. Going from ... What? 5% to 6%? That's great and all but it's hardly moving the needle.
If we want a significant shift we need OEMs selling prebuilt PCs with some flavor of Linux pre-installed, that's as easy to use as the competition (Windows/mac) with compatibility that's both good enough and transparent enough that people don't need to think about it much.
Before we get Linux OEM PCs on store shelves, we need to figure out that last bit first.
That still hasn't happened yet. We can't even agree what window manager should be used, nevermind any of the dozen or so other critical services on the system...
The thing that makes Linux great is that anyone and everyone can, and does, make stuff for it. That's also the thing that's going to hold it back from being put on store shelves pre installed on prebuilt PCs.
Boy have I got news for you
This probably won't be showing up on shelves at best buy along side computers from the likes of Dell, HP, and Lenovo. I kind of expect it to show up next to the Xbox, PlayStation, and switch, if it shows up at all.
Also, steamOS is not exactly a desktop operating system right out of the gate, is entirely gaming focused. Yeah, you can use it for those things, but that's not the focus of the device/OS.
I'm not sure Grandma and Grandpa would want a steam machine as a replacement for their aging Windows 7 home computer.
Fair. But for my gram, it would have been a slam dunk day one buy. She loved her playstation and only tolerated her PC. She would have called a Steam Machine "my game console that can check email" and would have adored it.