I've never seen it with Steam. Case and point. Not really.

I've seen it maybe a handful of times in all the years that I've been using Steam, and that can usually be resolved by simply restarting Steam.

Of course, with Windows genuine advantage, various OS "services", and piles of other stuff..... there's lots of things that launch with your OS that are doing checks and other crap in the background.

(Not that I like being forced to use Steam for single-player/offline/bought-on-disc things - like Skyrim - that have no need for it. But I don't see any problem with choosing to buy programs off Steam and then having those purchases, GASP, tied to Steam.)

Here is a bit more background on Valve's concerns regarding the Windows 8 app store: http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/25/valves-gabe-newell-talks/

Its perfectly related. The way Valve handles games through Steam is a preview of how they will handle other software. Now I understand not everyone has the same experience with everything as everyone else, but that doesnt take away from the intrusion of an unnecessary 3rd party that is undoubtedly going to pull a "Steamworks" kind of ploy. You may not have a problem with it, but understand why others do.

Another step closer to ValveOS.

Bought through steam is perfectly understandable and fine. Like you, however, its the bought on disc that i have an issue with. And with the recent update to the EULA of Steam, it basically nullifies our ownership of a license to the software we payed for, and we HAD TO agree to it to continue using the software we spent our money on. Meaning if Valve decides to cut you off for ANY reason, all those store bought softwares are now USELESS.

I'd like this if Steam didn't run or any key we buy through Steam is available to be used through normal non-Steam installation of the software. And if companies didn't start to put their software up exclusively on Steam. I still want my usual methods. Plus this could be great for smaller developers to get their software out there. Some programs out there really deserve more fame. Maybe Valve would even compensate the authors of freeware a little, giving them more incentive to keep developing. I know there's some good programs out there that have died.

Are you kidding me? If you want your computer to be more like an iPad, there is a lovely selection of Apple computers you can choose from. The main attraction of Windows is that up until now it has been a much more open OS. Take that away and it might as well not even exist.

Windows 8 is going to present serious problems for the makers of freeware, indie games, and mods if none of these will be able to run without a license from Microsoft. Making computers less capable is completely regressive. It is one thing to make computers easier to use for the (generally incompetent) mass market, but to remove the functionality that higher end users need is complete lunacy.

re: "want it to be more like an iPad"


Meanwhile, I'm avoiding upgrading my Mac to OS 10.7, because I can't stand the fact that they're trying to shoe-horn all this handheld/touchscreen/iPadPodPhone crap onto the desktop machines. I'd been thinking that this could be the one thing that would drive me to actually use a Wintel machine as my primary computer (after using Apple computers since 1980).... and then MS decided to do the same crap with Win 8.

It also makes them safer. If everything had to be approved by Microsoft you'd get rid of a lot of problems that PC's have.

You laugh....My iPhone has never gotten a virus. Nor has my Xbox for that matter.

Co-sign.

I was going to type a more detailed reply, but this really sums it up too well.

Nor has my PC. Shocking.

I'll take free will over a false sense of security any day.

This.

I had issues with offline mode if you don't set it before you lose connection, if it was after it did not work correctly at least for me. Most of what i use is open source or free software so I don't have a need for Steam to house it. If I feel an update is nessesary I go get it on my systems and be on with my life, sure configuring multiple versions is sometimes a headache but I don't mind it. I guess even though Steam doesn't use many resources I choose my applications for how little resources they use themselves and I would had to add even a little overhead or be required to be online to use them. I will pass ont he software but the game deals are sometimes hard to resist.

Yes!
Your signature quote as well by the way.

Making a virus for iphone ios would be worthwhile....

Also my android/pc has never had a virus

PhotoShop CS7 - Exclusively available on Steam!

I use Steam for my games because it's convenient, and when I started to use Steam (~6 years ago) a bunch of game companies were still doing patching by having you go to a FilePlanet or wherever and having you download a ton of patches, therefore it was way more convenient to use Steam. Most programs do patching right though, and I don't see a need to migrate over to Steam for those purposes. Also the overlay was a bit better than xFire's. Additionally most programs' updates aren't nearly as imperative as games. At any rate the only paid for software I have on my computer is Mathematica, Matlab, and Microsoft Office. I also see no reason to use Steam if they start putting freeware up, it wouldn't benefit the user in any way.

Also unlike games there are a good number of times when I need to use that software and I am not connected to the internet.

I would have been much more interested if Steam delved into movies/music/television than this. That's also assuming they could bring themselves to put a volume slider on their videos. YOU HEAR THAT STEAM I WANT A VOLUME SLIDER ON VIDEOS, GET ON IT. I can dream....

If you count SecuROM as a virus... I got it years ago before I knew much about DRM and have not been able to fully remove it from my system since. It is pretty aggravating that a company can put software your computer that causes all kinds of instability and is a nightmare to remove.

Steam for music, won't that be much like, iTunes, Spotify and the others? Only without control of the volume.