The Real Lenovo Laptops - Blank Disk, No Linux

wehe writes "A post from two weeks ago mentioned Lenovo Preloading SUSE Linux on ThinkPad notebooks. But in an interview with LinuxPlanet, Rajat Aggarwal, Lenovo's worldwide product manager for ThinkPad T Series, said that Lenovo will sell the new T60p laptop both on its Web site and through its direct and indirect sales channels. 'But we are not pre-loading it with Linux,' he told LinuxPlanet. Still, Lenovo will be breaking new ground with the level of support given to Linux by a major laptop manufacturer, according to the worldwide product manager."

Comments

Thinkpad & Ubuntu

[Neuropol]

After using Ubuntu on my various Thinkpad models for a few months now, I am realizing that there is a compatibility layer there that I've yet to see with any other distro on a Thinkpad. I've had VERY good luck with autodetection and autoconfiguration of a lot of hardware with Ubuntu. I've been endlessly impressed.

In a perfect world, I would look forward to seeing a CD Wallet of Linux distros that came witrh your new Thinkpad. A person could have thier choice. They could mutli-boot, with everything from Ubuntu down to, of course, Windows.

I have one unanswered question about the biometrics, though, and it's support under Linux. Does any one have any experience with this finger print reader found on the T43?

Re:Thinkpad & Ubuntu

[perdelucena]

Fingerprint reader works fine under IBM customized RHEL 4. You can use it to login and to unlock the screensaver.

just another Microsoft pawn

[Locutus]

I recently checked to see if anything new was happening around Microsofts FlexGo( MS-OLPC ) and found out that Lenovo is onboard FlexGo. And after reading how in 2000/2001 HP had to drop 2 Linux based products because they'd lose Microsoft marketing dollars on other products because of this... it's not surprising Lenovo is not pre-installing Linux. Atleast they say they'll provide support.

Thanks Ashcroft/Bush/DOJ for leveling the playing field.

LoB

These laptops are being made for Intel and others.

[CyberLord Seven]

Computer World had an article this week, written by Eric Lai. The title is "Linuxworld: SUSE Linux-equipped ThinkPads target chip designers". The date of the article is August 15, 2006.

In the article it specifically states: The two companies emphasized that the laptops are not targeted at consumers or even Linux diehards, who can buy the T60p but would still have to install SUSE or another Linux variant by themselves.

Later it states: Intel served as the primary beta tester for the SUSE-equipped notebooks and is expected to eventually buy "thousands" of the laptops, according to Bill lori(sic), worldwide manager for ThinkPads at Lenovo.

Later, the article states: But with Lenovo, enterprise customers give their configuration preferences and other software requirements to Novell, which will build a custom version of SLED 10 for them adn send it to Lenovo, which then installs it onto the laptops. Lenovo will also install other applications, including EDA or CAD application, and ensure that they don't break any drivers or crash the operating system, lori(sic) said.

The high price for these laptops is to pay for all of this customisation. Not so expensive when you consider what you're getting. Also, a nice move on Intel's part to distance themselves from Microsoft.

I'm unimpressed

[Kadin2048]

At least that I can tell (correct me if I'm wrong) as a regular end-user, who's only looking to purchase a single unit, you can't even get the bare hard drive model. It seems like on their website, that it only comes with Windows XP.

It's only people looking to buy in quantity (although they say small accounts are acceptable, I think they mean "no individuals") who can get the ones designed to use Linux, with a bare HD and assumedly some small discount for not taking the MSFT license.

All in all, pretty crappy.

I think if you really want to get a bare laptop without an OS, your best bet is to get one from Retrobox or similar, as a used model. They're all sold bare, because most of them come from corporations that had site licenses and can't sell an individual OS license when they liquidate the physical asset of the machine. I guess you could argue that there is always some "Microsoft tax" built into the price of any used machine that previously came with Windows, regardless of its current configuration, but at least you don't actually have to feel like you're buying it. If that's important to you.