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Windows Are we seeing the death of Windows for PC gaming?

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by murraynt, 28 Sep 2013.

  1. Jaybles

    Jaybles Minimodder

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    You are bang on about the no bigger platform and the support.

    You yourself said,
    "It's not just games, its all the other apps you need for a PC, so you would still need windows for certain things, which then begs the question of 'why bother?'"

    What I was trying to ascertain is why you think all these other apps aren't available for other OSes.

    Basically what I'm saying is that there are realistic alternatives. Namely OSX for one. Yeah its locked to Apple hardware but it is a viable competitor.
     
  2. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    Dude! ...step away from the crack pipe.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 28 Sep 2013
  3. 13eightyfour

    13eightyfour Formerly Titanium Angel

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    Just because windows holds the majority doesn't mean the others aren't viable, Look at the smartphone sector, Android holds the majority by far, but iOS/WinPhone etc... are still perfectly realistic alternatives.

    The big problem with Linux isn't that it's too difficult to use (many distros aren't and are arguably better suited to 'everyday' systems than Windows), It's that nobody knows it exists! Yes all of us here do, but take a walk down the street and ask Joe Public (The people that make up the majority of the statistics) and 90+% won't have a clue what you're talking about.

    I'm not a fanboy either way, but Valve jumping into the arena can only be a good thing imo, They've shown their hand, the concept looks good, will it flop? only time will tell. Will it dethrone Windows? Doubtful. Will it increase Linux market share? Very possibly.
     
  4. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    Microsoft is doing a fine job of dethroning Windows all by them selves, thank you very much ;)
     
  5. Stanley Tweedle

    Stanley Tweedle NO VR NO PLAY

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    It's ironic all the hate that's directed at windows 8. I found the interface pleasant to look at and it took me 30 mins to get used to it. There is no OS more efficient or with lower resources.

    My benchmark was my GF's single core intel laptop with 2gb ram:

    In order of speed:

    1:Windows 8
    2:Linux Mint
    3:Windows 7 home prem 64
    4:Vista

    XP is not on my list because well... it's history.

    Win 7 is unusable on said laptop as is vista. Linux mint is faster booting and a little quicker on desktop.

    Windows 8 beats all of the above. It literally feels like a new laptop. Boot speed is just incredible but more surprising is how fast it is when loaded compared to the other OS.
     
  6. lp rob1

    lp rob1 Modder

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    Sorry, I had a little giggle there. I wouldn't class 'breaking everything and requiring patches for patches' as 'support'. Funny how many of the Patch Tuesdays turn out that way. On the other hand, as soon as a security bug is found on the major software packages on Linux, a patch is available in nearly every distribution.

    I know how every Windows vs Linux 'debate' turns out, so I'm just going to hide behind my flame-proof wall again...
     
  7. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    Its not just Windows 8, Microsoft have been turning away from gaming since Vista dropped support for hardware accelerated sound, and moved the GPU drivers from running in kernel mode to user mode. It could be argued that XP still has a large market share because its more gamer friendly.

    Microsoft switched their focus from gaming on Windows to consoles around the same time they released the first Xbox back in 2000, and now they are switching focus again from desktop PC's to tablets and phones.
     
  8. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    Windows is a bit like the English language, its not the best language in the world, the grammar is not intuitive making it hard for non speakers to learn, all in all as an international language its not really fit for purpose, there are other languages which would be better suited, but there is a reason why English wont be replaced any time soon ...& that reason is the same reason why Microsoft wont be replaced any time soon.

    After all the thrashing about, it seems you agree with me after all.
     
    Last edited: 29 Sep 2013
  9. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    In industry, updating your software is classed as supporting that software.

    I have scripts( only a 100 lines of code) I've been using for years which I still tweak from time to time.

    If you spend any time around software dev, this is exactly how it works. On a system as big, diverse and sprawling as windows it doesn't surprise me that even the patches get patched, if you think this doesn't happen on nix albeit on a smaller scale (what was it again? if you add all the nix distros together they only make 1.52% of OS market?...no wonder hackers don't bother.) then you are being deluded by your fanboyism.

    So Linux also patch their software? ..sounds very similar to Windows.
     
  10. lp rob1

    lp rob1 Modder

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    If a hacker wanted to really injure the internet, they wouldn't attack client machines. They would aim for the global servers - the ones that everyone uses day to day. If a hacker wanted to 'bother', then they would target the Linux web servers that are predominant on the internet.

    If patches to software on Linux only came out every month, instead of when security bugs are found, then a lot of those web servers would be vulnerable. I'm not saying that Linux patches sometimes break things as well, but it certainly doesn't happen with the same frequency as the patches in the infamous Patch Tuesday.
     
  11. erratum1

    erratum1 What's a Dremel?

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    Maybe this is the reds time.

    Nvidia will be laggy, buggy, crashing, etc, etc.

    We will have to wait and see all future games will be created and optimised for amd hardware.

    I feel like i'm already there these 327.23 nvidia drivers are crap they keep coming up with errors freezing, etc.
     
  12. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    I think you are missing the point here, which is: if everyone used linux as much as they currently use windows then linux would suddenly need a lot more patching than it does already ..dunno why you are now talking about servers in a discussion about desktop OS, I can only assume you have no counter argument for my previous points.

    I don't know where you are getting this from, I can only assume this is what windows looks like when you don't actually use windows, in reality windows as a desktop OS is very secure if properly configured, which is probably why its used so much in industry.
     
  13. Silver51

    Silver51 I cast flare!

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    The introduction of Steam OS is more like a fork than a replacement.

    Some but not all people will go for it, others will stick to what they already have or know. I sincerely doubt that it will kill Windows gaming, although it will undoubtedly be described that way in some gaming journalism.

    There is room for Windows, Linux and OSX in the gaming market, especially once game manufacturers move away from DirectX; just as there is room for consoles, tablets, desktops and phones.


    Also, Windows 8.
     
  14. will_123

    will_123 Small childs brain in a big body

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    Its probably used by most of the industry because it got a foothold in the market, and industry doesn’t want change because of the implications that would have on other applications. Probably not because its secure, because if anything its less secure currently. But this is off topic.

    Steam OS looks great, im happy to have more options. Not sure on the controller, will just have to see what its like!
     
  15. Stanley Tweedle

    Stanley Tweedle NO VR NO PLAY

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    I think the controller is potentially very good. I detest regular thumb-stick console controllers. A joystick for FPS just doesn't work. The Valve controller is kind of a blending of console versus desktop mouse. I don't like the virtual thumb-pad controls tablet games use (I'd sooner use console thumb-sticks if I had to choose) but the valve controller is shaped specifically for game control and with haptic so it should be considerably better than the virtual controls we see on mobile game platforms.
     
  16. boiled_elephant

    boiled_elephant Merom Celeron 4 lyfe

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    I agree.

    Above comments (I can't trawl through and pick them out, the thread's ballooning too fast) that worried about range of games are spot on, though. For anything to compete with Windows, it has to be comprehensive. If people have a choice between two or three gaming platforms, they'll choose the one that has more of the games they want to play, which for most people is the AAA titles. For this to work, a lot of different companies would have to be willing to make a stab in the dark, and companies don't like doing that.
     
  17. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    If windows was as insecure as you are trying to make out, it would dropped by industry very quickly regardless of foothold size, industry use windows for the same reason as the 91% of desktop users who use windows.

    I've been listening to this bs from nix fanboys since the mid 90s along with their proclamations how nix is going to replace windows yet currently almost 20yrs later: all the nix distros added together only make up 1.52% of desktop pc OS. :D
     
  18. tuk

    tuk Don't Tase Me, Bro!

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    :clap:
     
  19. rollo

    rollo Modder

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    Comparing andriod as windows and iOS as Linux is not really a good argument.

    Apple makes 70-80% of all smartphone profits as of March 2013 Samsung making the rest. Apple does not care for market share if they did we would of seen a low cost iphone by now.

    Linux needs the 2 major devs left in pc game activision and EA to say they will support Linux with there games. Till that happens Linux will stay what it is now.

    Wanna play bf4 or cod ghosts the 2 next big pc games they are windows only niether will see a Linux release. If one of those 2 was coming to Linux we could discuss the change.
     
  20. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    Calling Activision and EA developers really sticks in my throat :nono:
    They are publishers of other peoples work, admittedly publisher hold a lot of sway with the developers when it come to what can and cant be done.

    It would be the developer proposing to make a Linux version of their game, and they would need to put together costings vs benefits, and then it would be for the publisher to decide if they wanted to fund such a project. (i think that's how it works anyway) :confused:
     

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