• Nalivai@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    What I mean, they don’t interact with the OS. They only interact with Steam app, and it basically doesn’t matter what it runs underneath. When we’re talking about users adopting Linux it doesn’t count.

    • frazorth@feddit.uk
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      5 days ago

      That sounds like the majority of users. I’m trying to think of how many times I needed to “use Linux”.

      I interact with Firefox, IntelliJ, and a few other applications and IntelliJ hides all of the CLI so I don’t have to know git, and I don’t have to know where my files are.

      My mother wouldn’t know how to install a driver in Windows, or even how to navigate to a file in Explorer. Does that mean she isn’t a Windows user?

      I think you are being overly pessimistic about what counts as a user.

      • Nalivai@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        It’s not like you are or aren’t interacting with the OS, it’s more about how easily can you do it if you need one. The distinction is, is it a general purpose personal computer, or a single purpose device. You can use general purpose one to only run one app 99% of the time, but it’s a general purpose personal computer you’re using.
        Like, if you use automatic terminal at a fast food restraunt, you actually are using a computer with probably Windows on it, which runs Chrome in headless mode, that runs a web app. But you wouldn’t call yourself a Windows user, even if you do it twice a day. Even if you know how to make the webapp crash and show you the desktop. That’s my point of distinction.

        • frazorth@feddit.uk
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          5 days ago

          You do know it is one click to the desktop, right?

          It just starts the machine in big picture mode but is doesn’t require you to crash steam to access the rest of the OS. It’s just starting with a controller friendly interface because the primary purpose is gaming but they don’t hide Linux from you.

          You can use general purpose one to only run one app 99% of the time, but it’s a general purpose personal computer you’re using.

          So they are running Linux? Because you don’t need to hack/root/magic keypress to access other applications.

          • Nalivai@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            If you don’t see the difference between a gaming console and a general purpose personal computer, I really don’t know what to tell you.

                • frazorth@feddit.uk
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                  4 days ago

                  Think? I have one, and I’ve had it for just over two years.

                  It’s a portable PC with joysticks for it’s primary input.

                  Even the sales page refers to it being a portable PC and only “console-like”.

                  https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck

                  Powerful, portable PC gaming, designed for comfort and a console-like user experience.

                  It provides a KDE desktop out of the box. It’s not locked down, there is nothing console about it except in vague appearance because it comes with joysticks. If it lets my write my own code (which it does) and run them (which it does) then it is a general purpose computer.

                  Ergonomically I would plug in a keyboard rather than write Python on the touchscreen, but I would do that with a desktop too.

                  It’s okay that your wrong. It’s obvious that you’ve never used one, or really understand what it is. Which is a general purpose computing device.

                  • Nalivai@lemmy.world
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                    3 days ago

                    OK, OK. I will ask our IT to buy some for the office, since it’s such a general purpose computer, it’s cheaper than laptops we’re using. I would probably buy one for my mom, tax season is coming up, she will like the upgrade, her computer is quite old, and this general purpose computer will help her a lot. Then I will get one for my wife, this general purpose computer will help her with her scientific research. I would probably not get one for my uncle, he’s not great with computers, and the only thing he does is playing games, some dedicated gaming console will better suit him, he’s always a bit confused with the general purpose laptops, he’ll need something that’s dedicated for gaming.