I'm just really glad all this more or less confirms they're not attempting some weird console system, just trying to find ways to make gaming (but obviously not only, they can be HT, internet machines, office suites, etc) PCs aimed to the mainstream with their form factor (and I suppose ease of use once they show their Linux distro alongside Steam's Big Picture). So, not exactly for me, unless I eventually get some cheap one for the living room (though there are other options), but nothing to dislike or take from their PC gaming focus either. Though if they go that low end it's probably telling for their development future (but I'm okay with that too, Portal 2 still looks really great, they don't risk losing too much money with a flop and I'm sure there can also be meaningful improvements in production values even with that direction, for example if the various vines in Portal 2 were dangling and interacting all physics enabled it would look much better, or perhaps with a high end PC you'll get overhauled rendering like ray tracing while the low end Steamboxes wouldn't be able to pull that off). I don't know how successful they will be, they do have competition in this field (then again it could be considered cooperation, Valve remains software first and their software works on the so called competitors), but more companies attempting these things is a good thing, like all the tablet form PCs showing up. There's no reason to allow Apple to take over the mainstream technology forever when you can have more open and consumer friendly solutions like the current PCs made more mainstream friendly. Bring it on really.
