Wait wait wait can someone confirm this for me, is it running Linux or another OS that's BASED on Linux? And what's the difference?

More tech savvy people can correct me if I'm wrong, but Linux is open source.  So, anyone can make a custom version of Linux and distribute it.  Steam OS, I would guess, is a version of Linux optimized for gaming.

I am just as confused as you. From a consumer standpoint, I literally have no idea what the Steambox is trying to achieve.

Initially I thought they'd try to mass produce a few models of these boxes and hence be able to lower the prices and compete with consoles, bringing Steam as a mainstream PC-esqe alternative to console gaming for the mass market living room. But now there's one trillion models, which is no different from the current PC gaming models. The mainstream consumer will be utterly confused about which model to gt and they sure as heck aren't going to spend $1000+ for a gaming only machine. The people who would are the same people who build their own PCs for a lower price and also know how to route their PC on to the bigger screen through HDMI and whatnot. So they've completely missed both markets.

One question that I find interesting is, will it(SteamOS) have basic things as a web-browser etc.? Or is it just Steam, period?

And to answer the topic. The whole idea behind SteamOS/Steam Machines are to dominate the market. To get monopoly over the gaming-PC market with Steam that other services will suck ass, so you will be more or less forced to use Steam in the future if you want to get your PC game. This is their goal of course.

Sort of like Microsoft's Games for Windows/Live thing for PC.

I struggled to get it for a while, but it seems to me to be a way of dragging PC gaming away from its Windows reliance and to counter MS moves to take control and close the Windows ecosystem through the Windows Store in Windows 8. With the Windows Store MS has taken its first steps towards making Windows a closed system, which would be highly damaging to Steam's ecosystem and Valve. By releasing an OS (Linux-based though it is) and encouraging game developers to develop games for it (and by association Linux) it will force MS to either keep Windows open for gaming or force MS to concede control of the PC gaming market.

As for the hardware, its just a PC with very little configuration containment, which is intended to keep the hardware cheap and not alienate PC users who are used to having a wide control of what hardware they have. I do wonder how it will go as a 'console' competitor given the large variation in hardware available which I fear will remove the ease-of-use of traditional consoles.

all the steam box will do is play steam games none of the good games consoles have(halo,uncharted,mario) from what i've heard. you might as well buy a 300$ computer if u want the same stuff the 500$ steam box will give u (games)..i hope it doesent do well valve is being cockey talking about there 75million accounts made.. its so funny saying they will beat xbox one and ps4..

I don't know what the point is now. At first, I was thinking it was to provide a blend of a PC gaming experience with a console experience. Then, there were like 16 different models.

I was thinking of buying the iBuyPower one or the Cyber Power, but at this point I'm just contemplating building my own PC.

It's an emergency escape hatch.

Seriously. It's an act of desperation, not an act of aggression. The PC market dropped 10% this year, and that means Valve's growth is cut off unless it can bust free of the PC. While most of Valve's customers are upmarket enthusiasts, they'll only go so far without new blood coming in.

It'll be quite a trick if Valve can pull it off. They're asking OEM partners to go up against a bunch of console manufacturers who enjoy better scale and still dump hardware below cost, while they ask software publishers to offer a console experience that undercuts their prices on established console platforms.

I don't see how the OEMs can compete, and I don't know why the publishers would compete with themselves.

No need to buy a SteamBox, but anybody can turn his own PC into one using SteamOS, alone or in multi-boot with other OS', if minimum requirements are met. I'll give SteamOS a chance in my next PC. Should MS play dirty and really try to close the SW market of Windows on PC too, SteamOS would become a good alternative for 3rd parties, particularly small SW houses and indies.

I think it's more about Steam OS than SteamBox. For consumers, it's about choice:

- The advantage of PC gaming (e.g. mods, third-party fixes, upgradability etc.) whilst having an optimised OS for gaming without the overheads of Windows.

- Play in the living room with a SteamBox and the custom controller, or just install SteamOS on your current desktop PC and stick with keyboard and mouse.

- Hardware is still upgradeable for those who wish to update their hardware (and has been made easier for at least some Steam boxes).

- Streamlining PC games so you know if your machine can play game x, y, z (at the OS level).

- If you don't want to mess around with the system, you can simply use the Steam Store for software and media. If you are tech savy you can install other software and/or dual-boot using a different OS.

-Legacy software will still be compatible (e.g. if you've already got a copy of Left 4 Dead, you can simply use that to play multiplayer with users already on Valve's eco-system; no need to pay an extra $10 like with current gen to next-gen upgrades)

For Valve, they want to guarantee an open platform and by starting this themselves, their well placed to reap the benefits. I think this will be a long-term endeavour for them. They may struggle if hardware manufacturers don't get the level of return they're expecting, but if developers start supporting Linux because of this, we may see more support.