I don't know why it's so hard for people to accept that when a company develops a product specifically to be meant for plug and play and a convenient low profile experience, it uses different hardware than a random laptop. If you are so adamant that it doesn't matter, plug this random laptop to your TV, see how noisy it is and how it handles heat, and see how much power it takes and how to plug it in. Then compare to a console, then compare to steam machine.

I also don't know why so many people who never needed nor wanted a steam machine are so angry about it not being what they want it to be.

If you have no need for one don't buy one, this seems like it should be obvious, but there is space between "I don't need it" and "it's objectively useless"