SteamMachines
Right now when it comes to computers, there is an implicit monopoly. There is only 1 company on the planet that supplies both their own hardware and an operating system of their own bundled with it. This company is Apple. Because they supply both hardware and software, they can sell a "complete experience" to customers who, quite frankly, will lap up anything they hear about computers and their 'black magic'.<p>But Valve are about to change this.<p>The so called Steambox announced a day or so ago is now going to be in direct competition with Apple's own devices as Valve can now offer this "complete experience" package too. If you want to know why this is so important you only need to realise that the term "Mac" for most people refers not only to the computer itself, but to the operating system also. No other company has anything that comes close to this, but soon Valve will, and the more time passes and the more people get accustomed to the range of available Steamboxes, the most ground Valve will gain, and the more Apple will lose.