The upcoming Lenovo Legion Go S may come with a SteamOS Linux version

"During a gold rush, sell shovels"
Valve created the gold rush, made most of the gold money, is selling the shovels, and aparently now is selling the land too lmao

Pretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

Quoting: ShabbyXPretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

Sounds monopolistic. :D

Quoting: ShabbyXPretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

While Microsoft very well might make such a threat, I doubt Lenovo would cave to them. Microsoft is an American company with lots of ties to the American government and military, and Lenovo is Chinese company with similar ties to the Chinese government, which is about to be on the receiving of new trade war tactics. They might very well be looking for a chance to stick it to Microsoft. By comparison, Valve is American but relatively neutral.

Quoting: melkemind

Quoting: ShabbyXPretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

While Microsoft very well might make such a threat, I doubt Lenovo would cave to them. Microsoft is an American company with lots of ties to the American government and military, and Lenovo is Chinese company with similar ties to the Chinese government, which is about to be on the receiving of new trade war tactics. They might very well be looking for a chance to stick it to Microsoft. By comparison, Valve is American but relatively neutral.

This little fact is why it still boggles my mind that so much of China is still very very heavily reliant on MS. Usually it comes down to apps, such as factories etc might need a particular app, but there is really nothing stopping a mass migration if they all wanted to or it was even mandated - plenty of big opportunity to jump in with similar apps with first class linux support.

Quoting: ShabbyXPretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

Likely. But Lenovo isn't a small company. They know the implications. Either the point is to push MS into some kind of concession, or they actually figure they can handle the pressure.

Quoting: Luke_Nukem

Quoting: melkemind

Quoting: ShabbyXPretty sure in the last minute it'll get pulled. Just after a reminder from microsoft that they'll ruin them if they don't.

While Microsoft very well might make such a threat, I doubt Lenovo would cave to them. Microsoft is an American company with lots of ties to the American government and military, and Lenovo is Chinese company with similar ties to the Chinese government, which is about to be on the receiving of new trade war tactics. They might very well be looking for a chance to stick it to Microsoft. By comparison, Valve is American but relatively neutral.

This little fact is why it still boggles my mind that so much of China is still very very heavily reliant on MS. Usually it comes down to apps, such as factories etc might need a particular app, but there is really nothing stopping a mass migration if they all wanted to or it was even mandated - plenty of big opportunity to jump in with similar apps with first class linux support.

It seems like they are trying to do this, but like you said, there are probably companies that would have difficulty switching without major changes in their processes. Even if the government mandated it, they'd still have to get companies to implemented, which may be costly.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-releases-its-first-open-source-computer-operating-system-2023-07-06/

Lenovo has a good history of supporting Linux with their Thinkpad laptops, so there is a good chance this is true. Fingers crossed.

The "Steam Compatible" branding guidelines seem more likely to me than SteamOS.

QuoteSteam Compatible requirements for input peripheral devices

Inputs

The buttons below must be dedicated, and not overloaded with different functionality

• Steam Button


• Quick Access Menu Button


• View and Menu buttons, with glyphs that match Steam Deck


• ABXY in a layout that matches Steam Deck


• Rear / Auxiliary re-bindable buttons (2 or more)

Required Features

• Gyroscopic controls


• Capacitive Touch Sensing Thumbsticks

Other

• The controller must be able to directly interface with Steam running on a device (without a Steam Link)

More hardware with gyro is still a win, though, to encourage game devs to consider mixed input.

I am an unfan of branding on my hardware (or, indeed, any stuff), doubly so for branded functionality such as a "windows", "copilot" or, in this case, "steam" key/button.


Last edited by emphy on 16 December 2024 at 6:32 am UTC

Year of the SteamOS desktop handheld!

Quoting: sarmadLenovo has a good history of supporting Linux with their Thinkpad laptops, so there is a good chance this is true. Fingers crossed.

This is actually what makes me think they wont be shipping SteamOS on their new handheld. When you buy one of the few Thinkpads with Ubuntu installed instead of Windows. Lenovo eats the cost on the MSFT Tax. MSFT still gets paid and still publishes it as a Windows sale. That money still gets reinvested into the Windows eco-system. In most cases, companies who buy the Linux supported Thinkpads are already paying for a Windows volume licensing deal and so it's not a big deal to Lenovo. It's the consumers that will ultimately cost Lenovo. Lenovo will need to pay the MSFT Tax for every handheld in order to keep their licensing deal with MSFT. They can charge the consumer or they can eat the cost themselves. Lenovo is huge and they can afford to eat the MSFT Tax on consumer Thinkpads because they aren't selling millions of them to consumers. They probably sell 1000 or 10000. Anytime I've been in the market for a new machine, when I check Lenovo, they are always sold out. Which leads me to believe they only sell a limited number of them to consumers. It's been several years since I have been in the market, so things could have changed significantly since then.

Really, if the new Legion Go is on par with the Steam Deck feature for feature, with more battery and better performance, why recommend a Steam Deck?! So Lenovo would be looking at 1 or 2 million in sales and that would also mean eating the MSFT Tax for 1 or 2 million devices. And of course MSFT is going straight to their share holders and say, "We sold 1 million Windows licenses for handhelds in FY 2025." I just don't see Lenovo eating the cost on 1 million Windows licenses. Maybe Lenovo is able to justify their new handheld unbound by the MSFT licensing agreement they have. That would be cool.

It will be interesting to see what happens.


Last edited by Highball on 16 December 2024 at 2:28 pm UTC

Quoting: Highball

Quoting: sarmadLenovo has a good history of supporting Linux with their Thinkpad laptops, so there is a good chance this is true. Fingers crossed.

This is actually what makes me think they wont be shipping SteamOS on their new handheld. When you buy one of the few Thinkpads with Ubuntu installed instead of Windows. Lenovo eats the cost on the MSFT Tax. MSFT still gets paid and still publishes it as a Windows sale. That money still gets reinvested into the Windows eco-system.

Actually, that makes me wonder. So the thing is, that's true for Lenovo like all the others because of a contract they signed, which they signed because MS has that monopolist power and could make them do it. But, that contract may not have mentioned Steam-Deck-like things because the MS lawyers wouldn't have been aware of that possibility. So in the case of this thing, Lenovo could potentially build it without the MS tax applying.

Quoting: melkemindIt seems like they are trying to do this, but like you said, there are probably companies that would have difficulty switching without major changes in their processes. Even if the government mandated it, they'd still have to get companies to implemented, which may be costly.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-releases-its-first-open-source-computer-operating-system-2023-07-06/

The thing is, if the government mandated it, it would get the hell done. Case in point is how rapidly they cleaned up their environment in many many areas. Shanghai and Shenzhen for example were super smoggy, polluted as hell - go outside and you could taste it. Factories dumping waste in streams and so on. I visited Shanghai this year and it was amazing clear and fresh, has been for a while now. From what I was told by various folks there the governments pretty much closed factories permanently if they didn't achieve goals within a certain timeframe.

Quoting: Purple Library Guy...But, that contract may not have mentioned Steam-Deck-like things because the MS lawyers wouldn't have been aware of that possibility. So in the case of this thing, Lenovo could potentially build it without the MS tax applying.

I wonder this myself. This is what I was referring to when I said, "Maybe Lenovo is able to justify their new handheld unbound by the MSFT licensing agreement they have." But to be honest I really doubt the MSFT lawyers would have missed something. I mean, MSFT had tablets in the early 2000's, It's just nobody wanted them, at least, as consumers go. MSFT lawyers have been aware; new types and styles of un-PC like devices would crop up. The wording in their contracts are probably very vague enough for it to favor MSFT. Even if Lenovo thinks they have a carve out that they believe will allow them to sell handhelds without the MSFT Tax applied, MSFT doesn't heart Linux so much that they wouldn't resort to lawfare. If one company gets away with a carve out, all the companies are going to want a carve out. Whew! if that happens, almost thirty years of vendor lock'in will evaporate so fast. MSFT knows they can't allow that.

Quoting: Highball

Quoting: sarmadLenovo has a good history of supporting Linux with their Thinkpad laptops, so there is a good chance this is true. Fingers crossed.

This is actually what makes me think they wont be shipping SteamOS on their new handheld. When you buy one of the few Thinkpads with Ubuntu installed instead of Windows. Lenovo eats the cost on the MSFT Tax. MSFT still gets paid and still publishes it as a Windows sale. That money still gets reinvested into the Windows eco-system. In most cases, companies who buy the Linux supported Thinkpads are already paying for a Windows volume licensing deal and so it's not a big deal to Lenovo. It's the consumers that will ultimately cost Lenovo. Lenovo will need to pay the MSFT Tax for every handheld in order to keep their licensing deal with MSFT. They can charge the consumer or they can eat the cost themselves. Lenovo is huge and they can afford to eat the MSFT Tax on consumer Thinkpads because they aren't selling millions of them to consumers. They probably sell 1000 or 10000. Anytime I've been in the market for a new machine, when I check Lenovo, they are always sold out. Which leads me to believe they only sell a limited number of them to consumers. It's been several years since I have been in the market, so things could have changed significantly since then.

Really, if the new Legion Go is on par with the Steam Deck feature for feature, with more battery and better performance, why recommend a Steam Deck?! So Lenovo would be looking at 1 or 2 million in sales and that would also mean eating the MSFT Tax for 1 or 2 million devices. And of course MSFT is going straight to their share holders and say, "We sold 1 million Windows licenses for handhelds in FY 2025." I just don't see Lenovo eating the cost on 1 million Windows licenses. Maybe Lenovo is able to justify their new handheld unbound by the MSFT licensing agreement they have. That would be cool.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

Hmmm.. this doesn't make a lot of sense. If Lenovo is selling their own hardware and aren't putting Windows on it, why would they have to pay Microsoft? Is Microsoft imposing some terms on OEMs that if you sell your hardware with Windows then you cannot sell the same hardware without it? I don't see how such a term can be legal in the first place. Do you have any sources for this?