Another negative point then,and how you suppose to use a track pad when it's not sitting on a flat surface,I have a track pad for my IMac and it's a lovely bit of kit on a office desk .

Agreed but they are a little bit like Apple really and there prices are quite high given what you can get from other company's for the same amount of money.

I have heard many good things about them in the past but have never owned a Alienware product

I don't know but I think Valve like to take a backed off stance and let other people get on with it, to be the facilitators behind the scenes, the glue that holds everything together kinda thing.

But, it's a bad way to handle marketing and PR strategy, bombarding people with so many units from so many vendors all at once for sure.

I think Valve will want it that any individual or any company can install Steam OS to a wide range of ready built PCs, self-builds or things PCs they already have but like Timey says, if it's going to be in your lounge most people will want it to look good under the telly.

I expect there will be loads of issues for a white, it's a computer afterall. I guess it's gonna depend on driver support from nVidia and AMD for SteamOS. It's a good move though, I feel, and Valve put a lot of work in and have a good track record of ensuring things aren't half baked on release so problems are minor rather than major catastrophes.

The Valve control pad has me interested and I can imagine support for the Occulus Rift VR headset coming so that's quite exciting really.

I mean the two round track pads on the controller which you use with your thumbs. It actually looks comfortable to hold and use but I just can't see how that can be better than 2 analogue sticks.

I find SteamOS the most exciting part of all of this and I hope Valve are successful in bringing all the Steam games to the OS. It would end Microsofts dominance of being the only real option for a OS on a gaming PC and be a big boost to Linux

I am not sure about that oculus thing I think I'd feel a right [censored] strapping that onto my head

In reply to a post by astateoftrance:

I am not sure about that oculus thing I think I'd feel a right [censored] strapping that onto my head

Yeah, in public for sure but in the comfort of your own home? Who cares?

Totally with you in hoping MS' OS dominance for the only real choice of gaming OS wanes with SteamOS. Complacency isn't good for innovation: Microsoft need some healthy competition so I hope Valve and Linux can give it to 'em.

I have firm hopes the Steam controller will be a success and feel confident in the future of haptic feedback though it remains to be seen if the two trackpads will be a good substitute for proper analogue stick controls. I'm sure they'll get their eventually - there's a lot of cool stuff you can do with force feedback*.

*Whoah nelly! Restrain yourself.

Like Dick

Haha. I do love how innovative the controller is and who knows maybe it will work well... exciting times in the world of gaming anyway that's for sure