It's the lesser of 2 evils. Without pirating, given that those will probably be the only options, steam would be the better way to go.

If you were referring to my post.  I never made that assertion. someone else did =p
And yes, I agree..   should probably wait for the game to be available on steam rather than on Origin before considering purchase. 

How do my examples not support my thesis?  I'm confused.  I just recommended not to buy it.

I don't feel bad. I stand by my comments.
The game is flawed.
It is not a bad game.. it is valued incorrectly.  At $10 this game would be worth purchasing.
Would you not buy it at that price?
There is a sufficient shell to be modded for additional entertainment value.

You can be objective, or you can troll.  Up to you.

I doubt they will release much more improvement to this stripped down beta without making you fork over something for it.
I'm pretty sure that this is what it is until somebody mods it.. or they release an expansion for it.

I would kill for door locks... that would solve half my peeves.

Guests just do whatever they want in your house, anywhere they want.
They'll go in your daughters room and troll forums from her computer while she is sleeping.. creepy
they'll eat all your leftovers in the fridge right in front of your face while you are cooking a delicious meal.
They will leave a huge stinker in your master bathroom AND break the faucet.... while there is a perfectly well decorated and conveniently located guest bathroom.
AND.. AND..  nobody barbeques their worthless babies anymore 

After a week of play.. here is my take.

The game is different than TS3.  Good or bad is a matter of individual taste.
Here are some basic thoughts.

-The game focuses more on individual families rather than global community and community stories.  You never really need to leave your home lot, and are not really encouraged to do so.
-There's no real community growth without your direct input. 
-Some of the vistas look very beautiful if you scroll in tight on your sim and rotate the camera to view the horizon (this requires switching to TS3 style camera controls in options.. the default options do not let you do this.)
-Because there are not many interesting mods to contribute to actual gameplay yet... it still feels rather empty and meaningless. (this will probably change unless modding TS3 ends up just being more enjoyable for the more talented people)
-The game is very easy if you have good showers stoves etc.. and unplayable if you have poor quality appliances and furniture. (unless you mod)
-Relationships are easy and meaningless.  Cheat on your spouse in front of their face.. call their mother a llama..  slap them around.. then woohoo all you want not 5 minutes later.
-Load time is good...  drawback, basically every lot is on its own.  Sure you see your neighbors house.. but it's just fluff.. you can't see in it and nothing comes out of it.

I could go on.  I think it's better if I sum it up as this.
The game is not TS3... but it is not bad.  It is a beta shell ready for the unpaid EA development staff (modders) to take over and make it fun.

Advice:   Do not buy it now and do not buy it at this price.  Wait until people mod in some depth to the game (and no i don't mean expansions.. they will just be additional shells)  Wait for the modding community to do the job right.
The only reason to buy it now is if you want to get a jump on modding the thing yourself.. otherwise you are not missing out on a dang thing.