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Posted on 06/04/2006 6:28:05 AM PDT by Salo
Computer maker Lenovo will not install or support the Linux operating system on any of its PCs, including ThinkPads and a series of new notebooks, the company said this week.
The Raleigh, N.C.-based company is clearly positioning itself as an exclusive partner of Microsoft, several weeks after the companies announced they were "reaffirming" global market development and cooperation agreements.
"We will not have models available for Linux, and we do not have custom order, either," said Frank Kardonski, Lenovo's worldwide product manager for Lenovo 3000 offerings. "What you see is what you get. And at this point, it's Windows."
A Lenovo spokesman later said the non-Linux strategy is also applicable for the company's Thinkpad brand of notebooks, although Lenovo will provide advice to customers who insist on deploying desktop Linux systems in some fashion.
While Lenovo and Microsoft have had a long OEM relationship that pre-dates Lenovo's takeover last year of the former IBM PC Co., IBM had been supportive of Linux throughout its product line — including preloading it on Thinkpads — before the sale to Lenovo.
Some solution providers said Lenovo's position would likely have little impact on business in the near future, but down the road that could change.
"In the short term, no impact," said Norman Gaffney, co-founder of Garic Inc., a New York-based solution provider and Lenovo partner. "In the long term, yes."
That, Gaffney said, could change should Microsoft further delay its in-development Vista operating system. As it stands now, he said, the market may be ready to wait.
"Customers are always asking for something that's still a few years down the road, to have available today," Gaffney said. "Will Lenovo lose some sales? Possibly."
Among Lenovo's two biggest rivals, Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif., began offering Linux-based notebooks as early as 2004, and Dell offers Linux configurations on some of its PC clients. And system builders have been warming up to the idea of offering Linux on desktops and notebooks; at last week's XChange Tech Connect conference in Summerlin, Nev., several said they were open to providing systems with Novell's forthcoming SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for the desktop.
Pings.
I think they mean the Beijing-based company.
You are correct, but they assemble in NC, ChiComLand and Mexico.
ib4ge
I don't see much change here... IBM did that too.
.. IBM had been supportive of Linux throughout its product line — including preloading it on Thinkpads..
But you had to be buying a bunch of them... they wouldn't do it for me, but I got the employee discount, which offset the Windows Tax somewhat.
.. Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif., began offering Linux-based notebooks as early as 2004, and Dell offers Linux configurations on some of its PC clients. And system builders have been warming up to the idea of offering Linux on desktops and notebooks;
Does this make sense anyway? The choice of distros available from any OEM is limited, and most Linux geeks will just burn down the OEM build and install their favorite distro, as I did with all of my Wal-Mart boxen. I'd rather see the OEMs just sell bare systems, notwithstanding Microsoft's "piracy" fears.
M$ goes to a large PC manufacturer. This is the conversation:
M$ - "We will sell you XP Pro for $170 per copy, and Office for $430 per copy."
Vendor - "But that's the same price that our corner basement PC shop sells it for! And it is a lot more than we've been spending! You're killing our entire profit margin at that price!!"
M$ - "Well, if you decide to make us your exclusive software vendor, we'll be glad to cut those prices in half...."
And that, my friends, is how M$ gets their software on every PC sold.
This is all a minor tempest in a tankcar of tea.
It doesn't bother Mac users like me a bit. No Windows, no viruses, no endless waiting for Vista.
Why would anyone buy a Lenovo computer?
Just another reason to go Apple... =)
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Thankfully he is suspended right now so we can have a discussion on this rather than a flame war..
BEcause if you were using the thinkpad line in your coporation and want to keep the hardware as consistant as possible you have to go with lenovo
Windoz has more openings for the ChiComs to exploit.
Free spyware and Easter eggs with every Lenin-ovo system...
Excellent. I'll have to bookmark this thread though to pointthe troll to next time it comes along. Do you know what thread earned the suspension?
Thanks,...
The Magazines have started the campaign ....Maximummm PC has an article as to how Windows XP on the new Macs runs faster than MacOS on the new Macs....
What was really funny was years ago if you compiled and ran SMB on a windows NT server it would serve files faster than windows native file server
But communists love globalists, and globalists HATE personal choice. Why do you think Billy Joe Jim Bob Gates was kissing up to President Who, I mean Hu? Linux is about freedom...communism is NEVER about freedom.
They need millions of Americans to use Winblows. I saw an episode of Frontline or Nova about Cyberwarfare a while back. It seems the ChiComms have been responsible for certain virii and trojans which imbed themselves into millions of American's computers that sit around like sleeper cells (or zombies), waiting for the command to attack our government's systems. They actually performed a "demonstration" attack on the Pentagon a few years ago, which caused alot of sphincters to pucker in Washington DC.
Sure, part of the problem is that most people have little to no security on their wireless and broadband connections, and out-of-date, ineffective, or nonexistent virus protection. Heck, I can detect 3 unsecured wireless networks around my neighborhood right here in my living room. I can guarantee you that none of my neighbors even know that my router is on.
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