Lenovo and Novell Partner on Linux-Powered ThinkPad Mobile Workstation

WebKnowHow
Wednesday, August 16, 2006; 02:05 AM

Lenovo and Novell will collaborate on Linux-based ThinkPad mobile workstations, which will run Novell's latest SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system. The workstations are based on Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology.

Lenovo ThinkPad T60p.

The companies said that, at just an inch thin and 4.7 pounds, the new Linux-supported ThinkPad T60p strikes the balance between productivity and portability, giving electronic design engineers the processor speeds and memory requirements necessary for industrial-strength applications such as computer-aided design (CAD). The new ThinkPads provide a mobile platform for this traditionally desk-locked advanced design engineering. In addition, engineers will be able to perform routine office tasks without having to switch workstations between the office and the lab.

Lenovo will launch a Help Center assistance for Linux customers who purchase the ThinkPad T60p. The Help Center will offer support for Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies, drivers, basic Linux configuration and hardware issues. Novell will continue to support core operating system questions and issues.

“The ThinkPad T60p is a milestone for our collaboration and shared commitment with Novell to develop innovative and powerful workstation solutions,” said Marc Godin, vice president of marketing for Lenovo’s Worldwide Business Unit. “Engineers running intensive based applications can now leverage these enhanced features while working remotely in the Linux environment.”

The Lenovo Linux-enabled workstations are currently certifying engineering design applications from companies such as Cadence, Synopsys and Mentor Graphics. Additional workstation certification candidates are also under evaluation.

Several ThinkVantage Technologies, including the ThinkPad Configuration Utility, Power Manager and Access Connections are supported on the new Linux-enhanced ThinkPad T60p workstations.

The ThinkPad Configuration Utility helps users to easily manage and control the system's hardware. With Access Connections, users can automatically switch between wired and wireless networks via a simple navigation and setup wizard. The ThinkPad Power Manager adjusts the notebook's system settings to match the user's workload, impacting battery life, system temperature and overall unit performance. Customers can manage settings for CPU speed, fan noise, hard disk time out and refresh rate display.

In addition, the ThinkPad T60p mobile workstation supports warm and cold docking while running SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, supports up to 4GB memory and includes customer Help Center support.