And so it starts.... Alienware and ubuntu gaming

[MIGMaster]

http://www.alienware.com/ubuntu/

[Centurion40]

Ubuntu??!!  Must consult google, and possibly beat some drums.

[Centurion40]

Dumb it down for me Migs, what's the big deal?

[DoctorQuest]

Making inroads on the evil Microsoft as the sole PC gaming platform. This could get interesting. Alienware is effectively Dell and they sell a whole bunch of PCs. The question is will the world follow with more games that will run on Linux.

I do know some folks around here have had pretty good luck with ubuntu. It will be interesting to hear what they think.

[MIGMaster]

^ What he said  ;) Ubuntu is a flavour of Linux. Dell is really big player to be pushing ubuntu as alternate platform to Windows.  I wonder if we'll see distinct pacts being formed ? Well, at least we'll know where Steam stands on the whole issue.  The key to the whole thing will be developer support - both gaming and app wise.

I'm half tempted to try it....

[eyebiter]

With all this emphasis on new consoles (Alienware, Steambox, Xbox 720, PS4, Ouya, Wii U, Gamestick) when the question of high screen resolution monitors and televisions be addressed?

How soon will the industry develop a standard that goes beyond 1920x1080? 

There are various draft 4k resolution monitors beginning to appear on the market.  Will be interesting to see which draft 4k standard emerges as the winner. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution

The industry certainly doesn't need another HD vs Blu-Ray standards war.

[Centurion40]

Thanks Doc & Migs.

Doesn't affect me yet, but interesting.  I see MS as being too well established to fall.  For example, the free Open Office didn't destroy MS Office.

[LongBlade]

Yeah, looks like they're hedging their bets in case MS decides to pull an Apple and wall off their games inside the Window's OS.

[DoctorQuest]

I see MS as being too well established to fall.

So was Pan Am  :o

Actually, my company uses Open Office quite a bit to reduce software costs. That plus Outlook Web Access makes for a pretty cheap PC build.

[LongBlade]

I see MS as being too well established to fall.

So was Pan Am  :o

+1

Gaming was a good chunk of the reason MS grew to be so successful. Abandoning the PC gaming platform - hell, even leaving breathing room - allows for the competition to show up with a better mousetrap.

Linux is free. F-R-E-E. Even with someone to sell you support the cost basis starts pretty low. And Linux has been around long enough that it's respected as a stable, secure platform. Empires have fallen with less starting pretext. MS had better think hard about who and what it wants to be, because it may get that wish...

[Huw the Poo]

Gaming was a good chunk of the reason MS grew to be so successful. Abandoning the PC gaming platform - hell, even leaving breathing room - allows for the competition to show up with a better mousetrap.

Linux is free. F-R-E-E. Even with someone to sell you support the cost basis starts pretty low. And Linux has been around long enough that it's respected as a stable, secure platform. Empires have fallen with less starting pretext. MS had better think hard about who and what it wants to be, because it may get that wish...

Nail...head.  Linux is gaining ground pretty fast with regard to gaming.  Coupled with the direction Microsoft is going, and the welcome support from Valve, Microsoft had better start being very careful.  They're going to find the rug pulled out from under them and wonder what the hell happened.  It's happened to them many times before...internet, media players etc.

Also, it's worth noting that Dell has been here before.  They were the first major manufacturer to start shipping Linux on their PCs.  It ultimately didn't prove to be very successful, but I feel things will be pretty different this time around.

(I'd prefer a better choice than just Ubuntu, but at least it's Linux...more or less)

[junk2drive]

If you read tech news, there is doom and gloom for PCs and MS. As long as there is a global recession, there is not going to be as much spending for PCs as for tablets, pads and phones. As long as government, education and business use PCs with MS Office, there will be MS and PCs. If those 3 start using google's (or other open source, but google has the brand awareness) OS, browser, office and mail, things could change. Software makers have to see a large enough potential market to make a product. Windows is the big fish in the pond. The other big changer is Android, which is Linux. I just read that there is going to be a standard that could make it easier for software makers to produce a product with less chance of problems across different platforms. I would think that once a software company is comfortable making software for android, making things for other Linux OS's should follow, including games.

[MIGMaster]

Was in contact with Dell Canada today and they informed that the Linux Based X51 systems won't be out in Canada for a month or so. They've added me to the e-mail list. I'm interested to see if there will be a price difference....

[junk2drive]

I would be surprised if it was $100 cheaper. Free OS vs whatever they pay MS for lots of licenses.