Posted January 14, 2015
Johnathanamz: I just don't see Linux growing at all on Steam Linux grows 0.xx% each year, outside of Steam I do not know how much % Linux grows each year.
People will still continue to purchase a pre-built PC with Windows installed, a PlayStation 4 (PS4) or a Xbox One.
I just don't see VALVe being very successful with having Steam Machines selling very well at all.
2016 Time will tell. If Linux after GDC 2015 in April is still at 1.xx% on Steam then in 2016 if Linux is still at 1.xx% then that means Linux will never take off, unless Microsoft really messes up Windows 10 a lot. Which so far 3 million people who have tested Windows 10 or was it 2 million people? I can't remember, but a lot of them are very happy with Windows 10.
There is even talk from Alienware, Dell, HP (Hewlett Packard), Intel that Microsoft will end up selling 600 million Windows license copies.
So time is the only thing that will tell Windows and Linuxes future. Time is what will determine the success of Linux.
If not many people start using Linux it's over for Alienware to sell the Steam Machines, then later it's over VALVe selling Steam Machines.
So 2016, maybe after GDC 2015 we will see the %'s.
king_mosiah: This is the problem with only looking at percentages, Steam itself in total has grown from about 70 million accounts from the time the Linux client hit to over 100 million accounts now. The fact that Linux has roughly the same % as before means its growing as well. People will still continue to purchase a pre-built PC with Windows installed, a PlayStation 4 (PS4) or a Xbox One.
I just don't see VALVe being very successful with having Steam Machines selling very well at all.
2016 Time will tell. If Linux after GDC 2015 in April is still at 1.xx% on Steam then in 2016 if Linux is still at 1.xx% then that means Linux will never take off, unless Microsoft really messes up Windows 10 a lot. Which so far 3 million people who have tested Windows 10 or was it 2 million people? I can't remember, but a lot of them are very happy with Windows 10.
There is even talk from Alienware, Dell, HP (Hewlett Packard), Intel that Microsoft will end up selling 600 million Windows license copies.
So time is the only thing that will tell Windows and Linuxes future. Time is what will determine the success of Linux.
If not many people start using Linux it's over for Alienware to sell the Steam Machines, then later it's over VALVe selling Steam Machines.
So 2016, maybe after GDC 2015 we will see the %'s.
Windows XP on Steam with Windows XP 64-bit combined has 4%, outside of Steam Windows XP is 24%.
Bank ATM's, a lot of businesses, government agencies, and schools still use Windows XP. NASA still uses Windows XP PC's for their flight test controls when they launches rockets with satellites and other space craft into space along with having some Linux PC's as well.
So I'm willing to bet outside of Steam Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 64-bit, and Windows 8.1 64-bit combined has a total of 40%. Probably in the next few months to pass Windows 7.
Windows 10 Microsoft may end up selling 600 million copies of it's licenses according to Alienware, Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP), and Intel.
So far 2 million or 3 million people have tried Windows 10's previews and a lot of them are loving Windows 10 very much.
The only way Windows 10 might not end up being very successful is if Microsoft messes Windows 10 up way more than Windows 8. I'm ok with Windows 8 I do hate the Metro tile interface, but Windows 8.1 is so much better than Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 both boot up much faster than Windows 7. I however still use Windows 7 64-bit on my main PC, which I also play all PC versions of video games on. I still have a Windows XP PC too next to my main Windows 7 64-bit PC to play all PC versions of video games that support Windows XP and Windows XP 64-bit on it.