Lenovo Backtracks on Linux Support Statement 74
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.'"
Their Logic (Score:5, Insightful)
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 [wikipedia.org] 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.
Re:Their Logic (Score:3, Insightful)
My guess to their logic is much simpler, even with their consumer lines Thinkpads are primarily business machines. Lenovo's comments probably raise a bit of a stink with a couple high dollar clients who said, if you're not going to support Linux on the 100 Linux laptops we order yearly we're going to stop ordering the 10,000 Window laptops from you as well and find another vendor. (Insert whatever numbers make it realistic to you)
But I'm just guessing... I didn't
Re:Their Logic (Score:5, Insightful)
That's not very good logic. Dismissing that your link said 2.8% in 2002 and taking your stats as true, not only was 2004 a long time ago in the Linux world (it was before Ubuntu took off even) so probably the real figure would be even higher now but 2.4% itself is an amazing amount of desktops. There are, what, a few hundred million desktops in the world? At least tens of millions sold each year? 2.4% of this could be perhaps a million desktops each year, being conservative. As many people have said before, a million customers would be an entire market for most companies, so it's not something a sane corperation would shrug off lightly.
Re:Their Logic (Score:2)
How much does Novell hate Lenovo right now??? (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
Re:How much does Novell hate Lenovo right now??? (Score:2)
More realistic. I would just be happy if they could get back to where the ThinkPad was, almost. Just make hardware and support Linux. Don't tie yourself into supporting only one flavor of Linux (RedHat, SuSE) because that's always going to piss off someone you don't support and it misses an opportunity for sales and support.
If they just made hardware with support, meaning the manufacturer would work willingly with the volunteer developers to create the GPL drivers necessary to distribute on any *NIX pla
Oh good! (Score:1, Redundant)
Re:Oh good! (Score:1, Informative)
The T60 and R60 are out, so the X60 shouldn't be far off. I believe there is a X60 tablet in the pipe as well.
If I were shopping for a tablet, I'd be looking for the X60 tablet.
Lenovo's two stools (Score:2)
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...
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:1)
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:2)
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:2)
In addition since IBM sets up deals with companies purchasing IBM servers and services, IBM is in a position to give recommendations on the sourcing of desktop and laptop purchasing.
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:2)
And second, I could imagine that MS has special deals with OEMs that sell a "few" licenses so they don't pay the 300$ we pay for the MS-OS.
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:2)
Re:Lenovo's two stools (Score:1)
Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:2)
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:2)
Here ya go [spi-inc.org]. Just make sure to specify that you want it to go to "Debian."
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:1)
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:2)
Is that like Gunfight at the OK Corral or Deliverance (Dueling Banjos)?
This conjures up images I can't even begin to describe adequately in the space given.
Sorry...couldn't resist that one. GRIN
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:2)
Heh. It reminds me of the first time I tried building a dual-boot machine by installing linux on a Windows box. I ran linux for a few weeks, then one day had to do some testing against Windows, so I booted it up. When I tried going back to linux, I couldn't get it to boot. It turned out that Windows had made the linux partition non-bootable.
My investigation found a paragraph hidden in the machine's paperwork where they said
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Better than nothing, I guess. Sigh.
Yes, you're right, but I think it ultimately depends on what they wind up doing. If they offer a button during the customization phase of ordering, then that's progress. Yes, we would hope that, say, when the next Ubuntu came out they'd put a big flash banner on the front page announcing it's now available for all Lenovo laptops, but it's all still progress.
I think it's very interesting that they decided to backtrack at all. Clearly they've changed their minds and certainly that has to have come from some sort of outside pressure. In years past, I think any company such as this could have just as easily said, "Screw 'em." But Lenovo didn't. And for whatever reason they ultimately wound up announcing their backtrack, it's still progress.
Re:Not what I'd call enthusiastic.... (Score:2)
woo (Score:2)
Re:woo.. and duck (Score:1)
did I miss something here? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:did I miss something here? (Score:3, Informative)
I thought Lenovo was based out of China, not Raleigh?
That was always my impression as well. However, from their "About" page (http://www.lenovo.com/lenovo/us/en/ [lenovo.com]):
Re:did I miss something here? (Score:1)
Re:did I miss something here? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:did I miss something here? (Score:1)
Re:did I miss something here? (Score:1)
For me it is. I am now "middle aged," i.e. I have expended more than two thirds of my alloted three score and ten. In my youth countries of origin were brandished with a good deal of pride by manufacturers. There was a form of patriotism both in business and in consumption. The People often ignored brand names and refered to their possessions by country of origin. You owned a Japanese radio, not a Sony.
The example you give is entirely unlike what is going on now. You
I guess this means... (Score:5, Funny)
It may have gone like this... (Score:5, Funny)
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...
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:2, Interesting)
Unlike in the 70s, there're more and more things over which the government has no control, Lenovo being one. A lot of people think Lenovo is a government controlled company and that's why they bought IBM's PC business. The truth is, however, if Lenovo had been such a company, it wouldn't have stood a chance in competition against rivals such as Dell and HP. The bureaucracy alone would have killed it. They've got to have a hell of business se
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:2)
I wager Lenovo's announcement dropping Linux might have been due to government pressure to only sell Windows on their machines to keep Uncle Bill happy. You see Uncle Bill is of the opinion that any PC that ships without Windows and witho
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:2)
I really doubt Lenovo would have been stupid enough to sign a deal with IBM that let IBM unilaterally take back its brands and trademarks. When it comes to blackmail its almost 100% the Chinese who are blackmailing the Western companies and not the other way around as in, "if you want access to our markets you do what we say". In IBM's case it was "if you want access to our markets you are going to sell
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:2)
Re:It may have gone like this... (Score:2)
It may not have gone exactly like that, but it probably was similar. The day the announcement hit, I emailed my Lenovo rep to confirm the news. I also emailed my IBM rep separately, saying something along the lines of "at our work, we view Lenovo and IBM as being pretty much tied together - there's an IBM logo on the Lenovo ThinkPads we just bought, for example." And then asking IBM to confirm their continued support of Linux, as my part of the business runs a lot of IBM servers to run Linux.
IBM respon
Excellent (Score:2)
Linux Crowd (Score:2, Funny)
Cool way do get a few quants of publicity... (Score:1)
Non-Story (Score:3, Interesting)
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.
Re:Non-Story (Score:2)
This is worse than non-news, esp. given the kind of titles are so misleading (backtracking). Everybody, including /. wants to be their audiences fox news.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Stuff Leonovo (Score:1)
As a consumer, you are free to vote with your money. But this is globalization, I'm afraid. Individual companies are not the one to blame. They have to make a profit for their shareholders. It is the government's job to keep the competitive edge of UK industries.
BTW, by choosing Lenovo's competitors, you probably do
Buy? (Score:2)
BUY a linux license? That just shows how far out of touch with the real world most 'executives' are.
Re:Buy? (Score:2)
The real think... (Score:1, Interesting)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/20
Purchse Linux license on their own?? (Score:3, Funny)
Oh well, if only Linux licenses were a little cheaper this would be a nice outcome.
I imagine (Score:2)
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
Lenovo Phone support (Score:1)
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
N.ew C.hina (Score:2)
Lenovo is a Chinese company. Raleigh is not (yet) Chinese territory.
Who would trust anything coming from the two sides of the mouth [google.com] of this company based on two sides of the world, depending on to whom they're talking?
Title misleading (as usual) (Score:2)
It doesn't smell of enthusiasm... (Score:2)
I think not.
Red Star Linux (Score:2)