Lenovo sells ThinkPads with Ubuntu preinstalled

Actually I wanted to wait until there is a really 100% Linux compatible labtop available on the Swiss market. Secretly I was hoping that Lenovo would soon sell one of it's ThinkPad T-Series available with Linux pre-installed instead of Dell (there is still no Ubuntu-Dell computer available here in Switzerland).

But Friday I had to definitively give up my four year old iBook G4. And since I had to do a lot of work on my computer over the weekend, there was no more time to wait. I really needed a new laptop as soon as possible. Lenovo's Thinkpad were still my first choice (I had read that Linux works quite well on them, and that they have a good reputation to be almost indestructible.

So first step: Search for a shop that sells them: I was a three places where they told me that they would be able to order one, but that they don't have any on stock. So I searched the web and found Global Direct, a small computer shop in Geneva, very close to where I live.

Arriving at the shop I had to wait some time before I could speak to the clerk and was looking at the few models exposed. One of them was a Lenovo Thinkpad T61 (Type 7664-18G to be precise). When looking at the description, I discovered with surprise that this computer can be shipped with dualboot Ubuntu/Windows Vista preinstalled. Wow, lucky me.

As I discover later (read the official annoucement here (in German only) this offer is valid only in Switzerland since end of August already (but remained fairly unnoticed even I Switzerland).

Well, being a small shop, Global-Direct didn't have the model with Ubuntu and Windows preinstalled available, but they had the same model (Thinkpad T61 Type 7664-18G) with Windows only there (14,1“ Widescreen, 120GB hard disk, 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader 2,4 kg). Needing the computer as soon as possible, I couldn't wait and bought it even though without hesitating much, and although I couldn't by it without Windows Vista Pro.

Now I'm writing these lines on my new Thinkpad. It took me over one hour (sic) to make Windows work to be able to download Ubuntu 7.10 and to find a free programme to burn a CD from the ISO-image (I even got an error message for whatever reason).

Particionning the harddisk and installing Ubuntu went as smooth as it could go. After less than half an hour I could start into my favorite system, copy back all my date and install all the additional programmes I need. Unluckily I don't have time to test whether all the hardware is really supported. Here's what I can say for now:
- Function key work all
- Wireless without a problem
- Grafics-card: needs to install a proprietary driver (available from Ubuntu repository)
- Keyboard light (the little LED integrated in the top frame of the screen)
- Sound (not great quality, but it works out of the box)
- Firewire (that's important since I have my backup files on an external firewire drive)
- Trackpoint and trackpad (even trackpad scrolling works)

What I did not yet find yet:
- How to make the fingerprint reader work under Ubuntu
- Whether all the security features (secure chip) work also under Linux
- Whether the case is really as rock solid as it is said to be (didn't want to let my new computer drop)

So I'm a quite happy man right now. Although, there are some negative points I'd need to mention:
- There is no integrated camera, nor even a microphone
- Battery live seams to be rather short (about 3 hours with reduced brightness and without wireless, so nothing compared to the four hours I had on my iBook G4 or the 6 hours Apple's computers offer now)

Tomorrow, Monday, I'll try to find out more about the included security featers of my new computer and whether there is a way to buy this computer also without having to pay for Windows Vista Pro.