| Lenovo confirms ditching Linux |
Sep. 09, 2008
[Updated Sep. 10] -- A day after it denied ditching pre-installed desktop Linux, PC giant Lenovo has confirmed to Stephen Vaughan-Nichols of Practical Technology that "customers will no longer be able to order Lenovo ThinkPads and ThinkCentres with pre-installed Linux via the lenovo.com website."
No explanation for the decision was given, according to Vaughan-Nichols. Presumably, after years of shouldering the unwanted burden of supporting Microsoft operating systems, the vendor was loathe to increase the burden on its support staff even further. It pulled pre-installed Linux systems from its virtual store after less than a year of availability, Vaughan-Nichols observes, adding, "This is a major disappointment to desktop Linux users. ThinkPads have long been popular with Linux users. Indeed, there's long been an excellent site just for ThinkPad Linux users."
On the upside, "corporate and government customers" will still be able to order Linux pre-installed, and Vaughan-Nichols quotes Gorman as saying that Lenovo plans server and IdeaPad S9 netbook launches in the next two months. The S9 will not see distribution in the U.S., however.
Formerly the senior editor of DesktopLinux and Linux-Watch, Vaughan-Nichols has covered the desktop and enterprise Unix markets since the mid 80s. His informative news post, complete with lots of relevant contextual links, can be found here.
Meanwhile, a more informal op-ed piece, also by Vaughan-Nichols, can be found here. Longtime ThinkPad users ourselves, over here at DesktopLinux we feel your pain, SJVN!
-- Henry Kingman
Do you have comments on this story?
Talkback here
NOTE: Please post your comments regarding our articles using the above link. Be sure to use this article's title as the "Subject" in your posts. Before you create a new thread, please check to see if a discussion thread is already running on the article you plan to comment on. Thanks!
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
