Well then, it’s settled. We had very high hopes for Windows 8 after reviewing the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Microsoft (MSFT) released earlier this year, but according to Valve CEO and one-time Microsoft executive Gabe Newell, Microsoft’s upcoming operating system is “a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.” Newell made the comment, which was picked up by Ars Technica, during the Casual Connect video game conference this week in Seattle, Washington.
Following the launch of Windows 8, “we’ll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will exit the market. I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people,” says Newell. Where gaming is concerned, the executive is hedging his Windows bet by working on a number of Linux titles.
Windows currently owns 92.23% of the desktop PC market according to June data from Net Applications, compared to Linux’s 1.05%. If a power shift does take place, it’s certainly not likely that it’ll happen any time soon regardless of how big a “catastrophe” Windows 8 may or may not be.
