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Lenovo Backtracks on Linux Support Statement
After a report that the company would not install or support the Linux operating system on any of its PCs, morcego writes "Looks like Lenovo decided Linux is a good idea after all. From the article: 'Lenovo executives Monday backtracked from remarks last week that the company would not support Linux on its PCs, saying it would continue to pre-load Linux onto ThinkPads on a custom-order basis for customers who purchase licenses on their own. In addition, they said, the Raleigh, N.C.-based company was working behind the scenes to boost its Linux support in conjunction with the expected July release of the next version of Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop.'"
According to IDC Research, there may be a rise in mobile operating system use and Linux will probably retain around 15% of the market share. Granted, this isn't for laptops but instead for things like phones or tablet PCs, it still probably holds some weight.
I doubt Lenovo would be changing their tune because it seems to be that (as of 2004), Linux runs on something like 2.4% of desktops and probably less laptops. Lenovo probably is imagining their products getting smaller and competing with cell phones & PDAs. In order to do that, they're going to need to support applications written for Linux or maybe even Symbian OSs so that they can steal users from the other side of the market.
Plain and simple: Laptops, PDAs, cell phones & tablet PCs are all about to vie for the "must have" device that does it all. Any manufacturer needs to be sure they can support the other side's applications if they want a piece of the market share. I think Lenovo knows the winds are changing and they are trying to support as much to satisfy their consumer. It's only natural that a buyer wants as many options as possible even though they have no intent whatsoever to utilize said options.
My work here is dung.
After all these back-and-forth stories in the press, I imagine that Novell is pretty ticked at Lenovo around SLED 10. I mean, at the end of the day, it'll still be more sales - but not what it could have been. I think Linux-consumer confidence in Lenovo probably isn't very high now.
And that's sad, really, because Lenovo bundling/installing/supporting SLED would have been a big win for Novell and Linux on the desktop in general. Now it almost seems like an apology.
"Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi craves not these things."
I've been looking for a Tablet PC, and the previous announcement forced me to mark the Thinkpad X41 tablet off my list (it was at the top). Now I can add it back, thankfully!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
On one hand, Microsoft, and their alleged "reluctance" to give you some neat price cuts for their OSs should you sell anything but their OSs.
On the other hand IBM, one of the heaviest pushers for alternative (read: Non-MS) OSs.
Dunno how cozy it is between Big Blue and Red Mond...
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Pretty tepid "support" if you ask me.
The Great Swarm isn't going to be doing much special requesting, which means there's not going to be all that many machines that actually wind up with linux on the hard drive.
Better than nothing, I guess. Sigh.
Is it fascism yet?
I knew it was a bad business decision to step away from a growing operating system. Way to stick it to the (M$) man! Go Lenovo, go Lenovo, go, go, go!
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
I thought Lenovo was based out of China, not Raleigh?
I guess this just means that there aren't Linux drivers for all those snazzy spytools that Lenovo's been putting in their machines...
This guy's the limit!
Lenovo: "We will not support Linux."
IBM: "We won't let you keep using the names and trademarks we made famous if you do not support Linux."
Lenovo: "We will support Linux."
The only thing missing is a little ass kissing...
"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
They know what's good for them.
Steve Balmers going to be throwing chairs again ...
Perhaps if the Linux crowd would voice their opinions about Linux, and other topics as well, instead of acting so timid and polite, in fear of offending others, perhaps Lenovo would learn that there's a large group of people that have strong feelings, deep, down inside, about Linux.
I mean, first we tell we'll remove something and then we tell we'll keep. Both times - a lot of articles and blog posts...
They said they denied cutting Linux support.
This entire thing is non-news. IBM was not shipping Linux on PCs and ThinkPads. Now Levano is not shipping Linux on PCs and ThinkPads. There's been no change in policy or "backtracking".
Apparently a lot of you saw an IBM Linux commercial and then invented a fantasy world where IBM was selling Linux to desktop users. They weren't, and they've been consistant in saying that there is no real demand for such outside of particular consulting opportunitites.
Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
Speaking as a Brit, I couldn't give a stuff if Leonovo were the only company in the world offering preinstalled Linux.
They just today announced the closure of their Scottish factory, so I'll be buying from their competitors in future and I'll install Linux myself.
BUY a linux license? That just shows how far out of touch with the real world most 'executives' are.
That's all about money...0 6/06/03/2003311446
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/20
I've been an interested watcher of this entire debacle by Lenova and they've said absolutely nothing to change my position of not considering their products and the funny thing is that when they Lenova Account Manager finally got back to me after I cancelled the 50 laptop order due to their policy, I told him, they've not stated any real change in policy and because of that, I will no longer do any business with them. Sorry but you've still lost any possibility of my ordering hardware from you as I prefer to keep my options open as much as possible and based on You're employers stated support for Linux, it aint happening.
"[...] it would continue to pre-load Linux onto ThinkPads on a custom-order basis for customers who purchase licenses on their own."
Oh well, if only Linux licenses were a little cheaper this would be a nice outcome.
Lenova corporate accounts, hello.
Yeah, uh I was just about to place an order for next years sales force laptops and I came across this article...Is it this true?..
Yes sir, our company strategy is to support Microsoft Windows only.
Hmmm.. Our corporate Stratagy is to Bury Microsoft Windows, payback is a bitch. I guess we will be placing orders for fewer laptops this year.
How Fewer?
Hello
Hello
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
Recently, my employer bought me a Lenovo T43 thinkpad. As soon as the
product recovery CDS were burned I started putting fedora on it.
Later I had some problems on the windows install (I left it on as a dual boot machine)
So I ended up calling tech support about it. (IBM's thinkvantage software installer
updater was trippin and I didn't know why)
Once they had me straitened out on the windows side I mentioned that 95% of the time I
just used Linux on their thinkpad `cause I have little use for Windows. (My job is in
Linux support) The phone support person from Lenovo said they heard that a lot of
their customers use Linux on their products and that I wasn't alone in that respect.
I never got much in the way of support on the phone for Linux. (Not that I tried) But I
did find a lot of helpful information on various web pages people have set up. I think
I've got everything working now. (Though its prolly illigal for us to watch our DVD's in
totem on these things, eh?)
-- If there's one thing i can't stand, it's intolerance!
"Raleigh, N.C.-based company"
Lenovo is a Chinese company. Raleigh is not (yet) Chinese territory.
Who would trust anything coming from the two sides of the mouth of this company based on two sides of the world, depending on to whom they're talking?
--
make install -not war
Based on this CNET article it looks like Frank Kardonski was talking about selling licensed copies of Linux (which I assume means a paid for support copy of SuSE, Red Hat, etc.). Basically, just a mis-communication. Yawn.
-- Argel
...it smells of lawyers and broken contracts. Will Novell's SuSE Desktop really be that groundbreaking?
I think not.
Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
I wonder if there might have been some pressure to support Red Star Linux at home?
chinese el supremo fatcat wu or hu or whatever comes to the US for the big official visit. He does NOT go to washington DC first to see "chimp -king of drunken redneck liars", he DID go to billy g gates armored island for a banquet.
I think it is safe to say that china willl be "supporting" MS software products. A major part of the deal for china in the WTO is to at least make a stab at ending piracy. to that end they passed a law, no computer ships bare, all computers MUST have a LEGIT operating system on them to leave4 the factory.
Like the other asian nations, they are play acting at linux and open source, but deep down they are MS fanboys because they are juvenile video game addicts for the most part. If it gets to the point they can't pirate, MS will just keep cutting them deals until it is cheap enough, afterall, a "copy" of his products cost TWO FREEKING CENTS at the most. He could sell XP for one dollar download or three delivered on disk and *still* make a profit.
I am just sick and tired of "shareholders" and their freeking something for basically nothing mindset. It doesn't matter to "shareholders" where their money comes from or who it hurts or helps as long as they get their's.
I'm gonna start rooting for a stock market crash and currency collapse, anything to stop this lowest common denominator "money is the almighty" madness. And when it happens, when desitute straglers come by seeking some food, first question I am going to ask them is what they "lost" what company they "invested" in. If they say "blah blah blah transnational corporation" that shipped everything to china or elsewhere, then tough titty no food for them. If they say "naw, not an investor, just went broke when the plant closed/or job got shipped to asia", then they get some food. The "investors" can go to a public terminal someplace and "download" some jpegs of food for all I care at this point.
Every other story around here it is the same, the "investors" demand profits, "investors" in blood profits companies like halliburton, or scum bag gougers like exxon, or pharmco misery profiteers--I just don't care about those "investors" any longer, I think they are leeches and need to renounce their US citizenship and declare themselves citizens of their bleeding for-profit corporations. Maybe china will take them in, good riddance.
You know what, part two? As I was growing up I called myself a "capitalist", then as I got older I finally realised exactly what that meant, it means greedy, don't care about anyone else "predator". No other word for it, parasitic predators now.
I work for a living, own no stock, and never will now, that system is broken and is inhuman. It "makes money" for some people, but it is close to being demonic in nature, pandering to the lowest common denominator of avarice and universal global exploitation. That's all globalism is, go around the world once you are rich enough and take advantage of near slave wage potential, then dump those folks and move on to go exploit someone else. Screw 'em, I have no truck with those sorts of scumbags.