Linux finally feels like it’s on that track – that it is being used in creative ways that will disrupt the current state of technology for years to come. Countless businesses, like Netflix, Amazon, and Skype, were born from the idea of how things can be done better while creating a lasting experience. Governments, including the one in the United States, were formed from the minds of leaders with the intent of disrupting the then current state of affairs. Our history books are filled with example after example after example of long term change resulting from the disruption of the previous normalcy. And I expect MORE innovative devices, more games, and more content being brought to or created for or made available for Linux devices throughout this YEAR (OF LINUX).Īnd as everyone knows, every revolution was founded in the upheaval of the status quo.
In full disclosure, the EliteMini UM 700 includes a license of CrossOver Linux so you can use it to also work on the occasional spreadsheet or open Quicken to update your personal budget. With SteamDeck like specs, this mini-PC is poised to play your favorite Steam games via Proton in a compact form factor weighing just over one pound.
One of my favorite new devices is the EliteMini UM 700 PC with Manjaro Linux. To that point, other companies are entering this market. And where there is a market and an ecosystem and a base of absurdly loyal customers, you have the makings for change. If the SteamDeck moves the market towards Linux, others companies, other innovators, other influencers will follow. And, I think that spark could be the start of something very disruptive – Linux adaptation. For Linux, I think that ‘spark’ could very well be the SteamDeck. Have you ever been captivated by something? Something that has held your interest? Something that you could not easily dismiss? Something you found yourself going back to again, and again, and again? All it took was that initial spark to change your mindset. It’s that kind of passion that starts an UPHEAVAL. It’s that first experience that made me follow the Atari 2600 with more experiences like a Nintendo NES, then a Nintendo SNES, then an Apple IIc, then a personal computer, and eventually into technology related jobs which lead me to becoming the President of CodeWeavers. It’s the experience that makes me reminisce in the games I loved. Games come and go, but it’s the experience that takes me back to when my parents bought me an Atari 2600 some 43 years ago. And no one else had thought to create the type of customer experience that is both satisfying and unique at the same time. No one else had made the concerted effort to bring the content, in real actual games, to the Linux platform (via Proton). Sure, other companies had previously released handheld gaming computer but, no one else combined the specs of a gaming computer with a handheld form factor based on Linux OS. The thunder first started when Valve announced the SteamDeck in 2021 launching a Linux based handheld PC platform. It’s the ‘juice’ that gets people excited that attracts crowds and changes the status quo. That thunder is innovation, and it feels like it’s coming to Linux. I can hear the distant thunder in the not-so-far off future of a world where Linux is on par with macOS and to maybe a lesser degree, Windows. It’s the type of exercise where us fanboys can tout the greatness of Linux while imaging a world where THE YEAR OF LINUX is not at all farfetched but instead, a certainty before regressing back to a much different reality.īut the last two years in Linux gaming has given me – HOPE. It’s a really fun exercise where a handful of people in the industry make wildly irresponsible predictions as to what they believe will happen in Linux gaming for that year. Come to think of it, maybe, THE YEAR OF LINUX isn’t all that farfetched.įor the past two years, I have participated in BOILING STEAM’s, “ BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR LINUX GAMING”. Imagine making the claim that an obscure operating system will one day take over the world? It’s like claiming electric cars will one day surpass cars running on fossil fuels or, digital music sales will surpass traditional record sales or, video games will one day be considered a source of entertainment like movies and concerts. Who does that? That level of faith and certainty in something so ridiculous is unprecedented. Each year and from what I’ve been told, several years prior to my joining in with the company. For each of my nearly 15 years at CodeWeavers, my CEO, Jeremy White, has predicted that ‘this year is the YEAR OF LINUX’.