Lenovo and Canonical Announce Laptop Deal
PC vendor will pre-install Ubuntu on portables in India.
Canonical announced that it has lined up a contract with Lenovo to preload Ubuntu on Thinkpad L450 laptops in India. The announcement marks the first joint launch for Ubuntu and Lenovo in India, a country where Ubuntu already has a strong foothold. The laptops will be available for purchase at selected commercial resellers throughout the region.
According to Canonical's regional Director Prakash Advani, “This marks a true stepping stone in our relationship with Lenovo and an extension of our offerings in the Indian marketplace, which is one of our key markets for PCs globally.” The deal underscores the global nature of Canonical's quest to challenge Microsoft and Apple for a share of the PC operating system marketplace. India, which is known as a high tech center, is a natural fit for Linux expansion.
Although the announcement will not affect other regions, it reflects a growing interest in Lenovo for tailoring its systems to run on Linux, which could make a difference for later arrangements in other markets.