One thing to note is that the next Xbox will very likely be more expensive than the Steam Machine, regardless of what Valve actually prices it at. This is because the Microsoft CEO is demanding that Xbox make a 30% profit, which means that they can't sell the consoles at a loss anymore.

If they’re really smart they’ll do good financing offers. $50 or $100 a month for something console-like would be doable for a lot of people I bet