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Windows 10S, Chrome OS, Linux and Steam...
g000h Jun 15, 2017
Although I work in IT, I pay little attention to what is happening in the Windows world. In fact with the amount of information overload nowadays, it is hard enough keeping up to date with things that interest me, e.g. the world of Linux.

However, some of my reading recently has been pretty eye-opening. Valve's fear that Microsoft is going to make Windows governed by a Microsoft App Store seems to be a very real fear. That is, in coming Windows, you wouldn't have a Steam client to buy or play games.

In recent years Google have been making very effective strides into Microsoft territory, with Google Docs Suite and Chrome OS laptops. Apparently in USA, more than half the schools are using Chrome OS laptops for children. Chrome OS is an App Store based operating system, easy to admin, and preventing the kids from abusing the machines as well as being very cost effective.

Windows 10S is a new version of Windows, based on Windows 10, but restricted so the users can only install software from Microsoft's App Store. It's good from a security perspective, but it's bad from the perspective of controlling your own machine, running it the way you want, installing what you want on it. Microsoft has been aiming for this style of operating system for a while now. Even regular Windows 10 has a control panel option to "Only allow software installs from Microsoft App Store."

Anyway, this Windows 10S is a response to Chrome OS, and trying to take back all the losses (from Windows to Chrome OS) in American schools.

This is probably good news for Linux users, because this is putting pressure on Valve to make sure that there is a valid gaming alternative to Windows (other than "locked down consoles" or "locked down Windows" ). Also, this type of news is probably going to help convince more people (e.g. Windows gamers) to switch to Linux in the future too. Hopefully the game industry will open their eyes and release more games cross-platform too. And don't trust Apple either!
GustyGhost Jun 16, 2017
It probably won't have much impact unless Microsoft switched all current Windows licenses for Windows 10 S overnight. Any kid running a Windows S system can easily "upgrade it to the gaming version" by installing normal 10 with all the "gaming mode" bells and whistles.
14 Jun 18, 2017
Convincing people to use Linux as their daily driver is hard. Even my co-workers that have Linux server admin experience and often get annoyed with Windows problems and design decisions still won't take the Linux plunge in their home desktop world. I've almost given up. I treat it like an unpopular religion -- I only talk about it if someone asks and seems interested, only answering their questions and not evangelizing.
MaCroX95 Jun 18, 2017
Quoting: 14Convincing people to use Linux as their daily driver is hard. Even my co-workers that have Linux server admin experience and often get annoyed with Windows problems and design decisions still won't take the Linux plunge in their home desktop world. I've almost given up. I treat it like an unpopular religion -- I only talk about it if someone asks and seems interested, only answering their questions and not evangelizing.

The frustrating thing about the Linux is that it is a huge potential and by design better OS than its' proprietary counterparts. But as long as one serious company doesn't push it again (like Valve on Gaming) it's pretty much scaring people away with its old reputation and problems. I have some hope because of third party companies that produce Linux laptops and desktops like System76 and Dell, but the thing with those is that people can put Win10 on there as fast as they need something from Windows.

Just like Valve has safe ground on Linux, MS has "safe ground" on Windows 10 PRO, so they can just continue pushing WIndows 10S and their store and always have pro availible just so people don't switch to linux because of their closure of the system.
Shmerl Jun 18, 2017
Google should provide an easy way to run Linux games on ChromeOS (you need to fiddle with chroot now to do it). It would give boost to Linux gaming.
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