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Lenovo returns to the Linux desktop (ComputerWorld)

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols takes a look at the upcoming Lenovo smartbook. "Lenovo might not describe their return to the Linux desktop like that, but that's what they're doing. Yesterday, November 12th, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs gave the world a sneak peak at the Lenovo ARM Snapdragon-powered smartbook, a cross between a smartphone and a netbook. Jacobs added that Lenovo Linux-based smartbook would make its debut at January's CES (Computer Electronics Show).
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Lenovo returns to the Linux desktop (ComputerWorld)

Posted Nov 16, 2009 11:51 UTC (Mon) by sylware (guest, #35259) [Link]

Hope that their Linux support won't be full of binary blobs.

Lenovo returns to the Linux desktop (ComputerWorld)

Posted Nov 16, 2009 15:44 UTC (Mon) by Trelane (subscriber, #56877) [Link]

They'll also abandon Linux, and (probably; such is the experience with big-box vendors) give it short shrift, providing them the excuse that there was no market (without saying the rest: "For our poorly-implemented, poorly-implemented, and/or poorly-offered (e.g. poor selection/options) offerings). Better to stick with a Linux-supporting vendor such as System76 or ZaReason IMHO.

Step 3, profit.

Posted Nov 17, 2009 18:14 UTC (Tue) by dmarti (subscriber, #11625) [Link]

Linux on the desktop is a short-term tactic to get negotiating power. Desktop Linux is tremendously profitable, even though customers don't get many machines and developers don't see much of the profit. (In the long run, will it be in major hardware vendors' interest to support a credible Linux threat?)

Step 3, profit.

Posted Nov 22, 2009 19:32 UTC (Sun) by anton (guest, #25547) [Link]

I fear that ARM-based netbooks are also a short-term tactic to get negotiating power. I hope that they will really have to sell some to us before closing that line down because they got the prices from Intel that they wanted. Or maybe we will have to see a Windows XP or 7 port to ARM before that happens.

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