Lenovo launches ThinkPad and ThinkStation PCs with Ubuntu pre-loaded

Are you in the market for new Linux hardware? Lenovo are expanding their selection, with an announcement today of more Linux-ready ThinkPad and ThinkStation PCs.

They're pushing hard on this too, with around 30 Ubuntu-loaded devices available for purchase on the official Lenovo store which include 13 ThinkStation™ and ThinkPad™ P Series Workstations and an additional 14 ThinkPad T, X, X1 and L series laptops. Most of which come ready with the latest version of Ubuntu with the 20.04 long-term support release, however they L series is currently sticking with Ubuntu 18.04.

"Lenovo’s vision of enabling smarter technology for all really does mean 'for all'.  Our announcement of device certification in June was a step in the right direction to enable customers to more easily install Linux on their own. Our goal is to remove the complexity and provide the Linux community with the premium experience that our customers know us for. This is why we have taken this next step to offer Linux-ready devices right out of the box," said Igor Bergman, Vice President of PCSD Software & Cloud at Lenovo.

Quite an exciting step for wider Linux hardware availability, following on from their small initial Ubuntu push followed by their Fedora Linux rollout back in August. I've long said that the key barrier for Linux is having more stores not only having Linux available - but actually advertised. Historically, a few well-known vendors have stocked some Linux hardware but it's often been buried in their stores.

Installing Linux onto existing machines is still a barrier for some, so another wall broken down at another hardware vendor is always fantastic to see. As for availability, while it's going to be global don't expect everything to be live right away, Lenovo said it starting now and rolling out in phases through 2021.

"Lenovo’s expansion of Ubuntu certified devices shows great commitment to open source and the Linux community. With data scientists and developers increasingly needing Linux for emerging workloads, this collaboration enables enterprises to equip their employees with the assurance of long-term stability, added security and simplified IT management," said Dean Henrichsmeyer, VP of Engineering at Canonical.

Interested? Check out the dedicated Linux page on Lenovo.