Lenovo’s Open-Source Handshake with Linux

Three months back, Dell rolled out three PC models loaded with open-source proponent Linux’s Ubuntu version. At LinuxWorld, an annual conference being held this week in San Francisco, another huge name in the PC market, Lenovo, announced its decision to roll out PCs and laptops loaded with Linux software.

Lenovo’s announcement is being seen by industry watchers as the strongest signal of major PC makers endorsing open-source software. Lenovo is the third largest PC manufacturer in the world. It is expected to provide Linux with the thrust required to position itself as the top contender for the No.1 spot in the market.

The Linux platform positions itself against Microsoft’s Windows, the dominant player in the market. Windows may be the strongest player in its arena, but Linux has been taking giant strides to becoming a strong contender for that position.

Over the past 10 years, more and more software users, including corporate companies, have been switching to Linux software for their servers and other high-end business computers. This has ensured rapid growth and support for the open-source lobby during this period.

However, despite increasing support at the grass roots and mid-levels of the software industry, Linux has not been able to make inroads into the machines developed by the top PC manufacturers until the beginning of 2007.

A significant piece of statistic bears testimony to this fact: more than 90 per cent of the PCs in the world still operate on Windows. All this could change with Lenovo’s announcement. Linux is hoping this announcement will be the first step towards bringing other top PC makers over to its side.

The demand from PC users has always been there. Dell, in fact, decided to use Linux on some of its models based on user feedback on his request to post suggestions for new products Dell could introduce.

Raj Aggarwal, product manager for the ThinkPad laptops from the Lenovo stable, echoed this sentiment when he said there had been increasing demand for Linux PCs this year, identifying the maximum demand was primarily from three quarters – government, the education sector, and emerging markets.

Mr. Aggarwal further said the Linux PCs could, in the next few years, account for almost 5 percent of all its offerings in the PC domain. Lenovo’s statement said the machines could be out into the global market by the fourth quarter of this year.

Lenovo is using the Suse Linux operating system developed by Novell on its systems. While making this announcement, it has not made any mention of issues like pricing and the languages in which the Linux software would be available.

The advantages of open source software are many, the most eye-catching being its free availability. Companies developing Linux software, such as Novell and Red Hat develop profit from the sale of associated services, such as technical support.

Currently, Dell and Lenovo are the biggest PC manufacturers who have opted for Linux software on their machines. Industry leader Hewlett-Packard Co. does not sell machines loaded with Linux software.