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Why more PC gaming handhelds should ditch Windows for SteamOS
(arstechnica.com)
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this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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Because Microsoft ain't gonna make Windows any better for this form factor until it is way late to the game, as usual.
Windows is basically a product for corporations now. Consumer Windows is an afterthought most of the time.
However, I could be wrong with Xbox's theorized pivot away from hardware.
Always has been
Windows is an enterprise OS with consumer features and macOS is a consumer OS with enterprise features.
What about Linux then? A 1337 OS with some noob features sprinkled in for color? Or maybe a server OS with desktop features stapled on the front?
Linux is an everything OS with whatever features you want/need. Do you need a hardened enterprise server? Linux got you. Do you need a user friendly OS for even non-technical people? Linux got you. Do you need something that can do a little of everything? Believe it or not, Linux got you.
Straight to jail.
You underclock your laptop? Linux got you.
You overclock your gaming rig? Believe it or not, Linux got you.
Underclock, overclock.
That is a very accurate description of Linux considering even X11 and Wayland are display servers. Pipewire and Pulseaudio are also servers.
Don't misunderstand what a server means, however. Just because something is called a server doesn't mean it's not made for the desktop. It's a technical term that doesn't necessarily relate to networking, it might just relate to stuff like inter-process communication.
However, Wayland is designed for the desktop environment. It's like the main reason why it replaces X11, which was designed for terminals.
My comment was mostly meant as a joke. I'm aware most of them use their networking capabilities for IPC and being able to use them remotely is just a cool feature resulting from that (except X11).
I know this is a joke comment but Linux is for sure an enterprise kernel first and foremost. It did not start that way but that is how it has been developed and managed for many years now. Maybe the most incorrect thing anybody has ever said on record in the computer industry is when Linus said Linux was “not going to be anything big and professional”.
Linux distributions, which are conceived and managed totally independently from the kernel are available for every niche. Many of them are desktop and “consumer” oriented. With many Linux distributions, I would say that it is more accurate that they are hobbiest oriented more than what Microsoft would mean be “consumer”.
And I’m a man with boy-like intellect, just in case anyone was wondering.
I don't know that Microsoft has any business trying to make Windows support these devices better....
Windows is entirely built around two pillars:
Portable game machines are not an enterprise product. Nor do you care about broad hardware support or upgradability. Nor do you care about plugging in your parallel port printer from 1985. Nor do you care about running your ancient vb6 code to run your production machines over some random firewire card.
Windows' goal is entirely oppositional to portable gaming devices. It makes almost no sense for them to try to support it, as it'd go against their entire model. For things like these, you want a thin, optimized-over-flexible, purpose built OS that does one thing: play games. Linux is already built to solve this problem way better than Windows.
But, Microsoft will probably be stupid enough to try anyway.
You haven't seen what I've been using my Steam Deck for. Gaming was not my primary motivation for buying it.
It's basically replaced my laptop. I carry a docking station, mouse, and full size keyboard with me. Eventually I'm gonna be using it for some robotics and remote control projects and other experiments. It's a full blown PC in a handheld, I mean, why not?
That's great and I'm glad that works for you.
But most people buying portable gaming handhelds are not doing that. And the people looking for things like that are likely landing closer to a surface or standard laptop, which Windows already supports well.
Curious, how is this workflow working for you. I basically did the same thing, at this point the only real blockers are the screensizens is too small and I don't like carrying separate keyboard and mice from my case.
I only use the setup when I'm mobile (like on vacation somewhere) , and everything fits in a backpack. It's not too annoying, and it's nice to work on some code while I'm away somewhere and the next minute launch a game to unwind. I'm not going to be sitting there staring at a tiny screen and working for hours though, you're right about the screen size being something to get used to.
windows optimized for handhelds is already a work in progress, its just not remotely done
Microsoft has never, since inception, been able to ship an embedded Windows that wasn't a festering pile of dog shit.
embedded windows in the japanese arcade scene has been working fine so far. for example, most of bandais arcade machines in the past like 7 yaers or so basically run embedded windows.
it was a benefit to non arcade users because a majority of games that were on those machines eventually got pc versions, or a new game on pc for the first time (e.g Tekken 7, Taiko No Tatsujin), where historically, theyve basically never been on PC officially.
So let me get this straight -- your defense of Microsoft, in this instance, is Japanese cabinet makers, making arcade machines, where the user doesn't interact with the operating system in the slightest bit? A Japan that still faxes even in modernity? That's your defense of MS? I bet they aren't even using a special build of windows
just the desktop schlock with some shitty 3rd party app on top.
im not defending mocrosoft at a whole, im just saying windows embedded isnt as bad as you actually think it is, and consumers benefitted from it more than it not
what a country does has barely anything to do with rhis context. thats like saying the U.S is shit because they didnt have tap to pay until Covid happened, whoch other countries have been usong for a decade before, or having terrible public transportation and internet infrastructure, and in the latter case, basically invented it.
just the desktop schlock with some shitty 3rd party app on top.
that shows how ignorant you are with it because all of the games arent directly ported. look into the efforts required to port Gundam Extreme Versus 2 on teknoparrot. if it was a native game, then they wouldnt have to jump through as many hoops as the game doesnt have a PC port (nor any of its predecessors have ever had one)
Windows phone on Nokia Lumia was pretty good and well polished, and I'm a Linux fan.
Windows optimized for anything seems to be pretty much impossible.
They could even bring back the Zune branding if they finally do it. It'd almost be poetic.