I see posts talking about good BIFL items but I don’t hear much about the other side of products that are bad or products you bought but don’t even use.
I see posts talking about good BIFL items but I don’t hear much about the other side of products that are bad or products you bought but don’t even use.
This is the same reason I’ve never bought one. I love the concept, they are so cool. I use Linux on my desktop at home and at work. The thought of a powerful handheld Linux gaming PC for gaming on the go is so enticing, and I want to support Valve and the development of proton and gaming on Linux. But in reality I’m rarely “on the go”. I read articles on my phone when I’m on the train on my way to work. I watch videos on my android tablet when I’m flying on a plane for work. I have a Nintendo 3DS and an ODroid Go Ultra ARM emulation handheld gathering dust on my nightstand. I’d hate the thought of adding a steamdeck to the pile.
I think you’re making the right call. I bought a used Steam Deck and I love it and don’t regret it at all, but I think I’m more of the target demographic than you are. I built a PC 15 years ago when Windows 7 was launching and then upgraded it a few years later, and then replaced that with a gaming laptop that’s now very outdated. I’m sorta kinda tech savvy; a fucking doofus compared to somebody like you but a goddamn genius compared to most people I meet.
The Steam Deck proved to me that if/when I build a desktop, (and I want that to be soon but I keep getting surprise expenses lol,) then I’m ready to jump over to Linux as my OS. I was thinking Chimera for something that could effectively be a powerful modern Steam Machine with UI similar to Steam Deck, but Nobara looks more versatile for being a full PC instead of being a console that has PC capability. I have more faith in Nobara to be able to run a big project in a DAW like Reaper, plus I want the ability to stream on Twitch or do some basic video editing too, and it seems to be pretty accessible to a long-time medium-level Windows user like me.
Right now, most of my Steam Deck use is on the couch. My wife never really tried Skyrim, so she’s playing a file on the PS5 and I lay my head in her lap on the couch and play a different Skyrim file on the Deck. But I also play it on a train or take it with me when I go somewhere overnight. It can’t keep up with a modern PC or PS5, but it blows me away that it’s a handheld PC that’s about as powerful as a PS4. People bitch about the battery, but tweaking a few simple sliders can double or even triple battery life with relatively little compromise. It’s amazing but it’s a waste of your time and money lol.