Lenovo halts online sales of Linux-based PCs

Vendor will continue offering pre-loaded Linux machines directly or through partners

By Sharon Gaudin

September 11, 2008 12:00 PM ET

Comments

Comments

Active Comments

Anonymous says: Dear Lenovo, We will not be buying anymore of your laptops. We intend to still support you in everything we...

Read the rest | Reply

Jaqui says: That Lenovo even OFFERED Linux pre-installed, since every time I looked at heir website they only offered windows pre-installed on...

Read the rest | Reply

All Comments (8) | Post New

Computerworld - Lenovo Group Ltd. is cutting back on sales of desktops and laptop systems with the Linux operating system pre-installed.

The PC maker said yesterday that it will no longer take online orders for computers pre-loaded with any flavor of Linux. Ray Gorman, a spokesman for the company, said that it will continue offering such machines only through its own or partner direct sales teams.

"Our commitment to Linux has not changed," said Gorman in an e-mail to Computerworld. "What's changed is that customers will no longer be able to order Lenovo ThinkPads and ThinkCentres with pre-installed Linux via the lenovo.com Web site."

Gorman said the most orders for pre-loaded Linux software had come through their sales teams or business partners. Their online sales for pre-installed Linux weren't hitting big enough numbers, he added.

Lenovo has been offering Linux-based machines since 2000.

The company will continue to pre-certify Novell and Red Hat Linux on ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre desktops. Lenovo is also adding Ubuntu certification for new ThinkPad and ThinkCentre PCs, according to Gorman.

Related Blog

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: Lenovo blows the Linux desktop off

He also noted that Lenovo is slated to deliver Linux-based servers and IdeaPad netbook models in September and October, respectively.

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

Lenovo

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

What People Are Saying

8 comments | Add new

See all comments (8) | Add new

White Papers & Webcasts

Paravirtualization Case Study with Buyken Metal Products
The ability to virtualize Windows servers with paravirtualization led Buyken to Citrix XenServer, Enterprise Edition.