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Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

arstechnica.com

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Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#91

Post by phatfish »

cfreeman wrote: post #82
riquito wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

About thinking before buying Lenovo... I've bought a Lenovo notebook, wanted to download a copy of Windows from them (it's OEM), and searched on their forums for clues, since I didn't find anything on the site. This is what a moderator wrote > If what you wish to achieve is an OEM imaged system, the only way is to obtain official recovery media through official channels. There are no legal downloads available, theref…

I've worked in computer repair shops, and what you've described about OEM Windows is how it's worked for years. You have to either use the recovery partition that comes with the machine or order new recovery media from the manufacturer. This isn't unique to Lenovo.

I find a nice little program called Daz Loader works much more smoothly than Lenovo support. As long as you have the correct SLIC code in the BIOS you are golden.

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#92

Post by chuckup »

phphphph wrote: post #87
kozukumi wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another [very valid!] reason not to run Windows IMHO. This kind of thing is totally unacceptable.

To be fair, the guidelines for this feature include > The authenticated device owner should have the ability to disable or remove this functionality if desired.

I would just add, it took them nearly 4 years to add these guidelines!

>November 29, 2011 First publication

>July 8, 2015, 2015 Revision to include security guidance and requirements

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#93

Post by chuckup »

owenwil wrote: post #83
chuckup wrote: post #10

Lenovo is now using rootkit-like techniques to install their software on CLEAN Windows installs, by having the BIOS overwrite windows system files on bootup. Someone detailed this here: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29497693&sid=dd... I had this happen to me a few weeks ago, on a new Lenovo laptop, doing a clean install with a new SSD, Win 8 DVD + wifi turned off. I couldn't understand how a Lenovo ser…

Does anyone have a laptop on the affected list, that's seeing this right now? If so, get in touch? owen@thenextweb.com

Your story on thenextweb was excellent - it's a complex story and you managed to explain it all very well.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/08/12/lenovo-used-a-hidde...

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#95

Post by intrasight »

chuckup wrote: post #10

Lenovo is now using rootkit-like techniques to install their software on CLEAN Windows installs, by having the BIOS overwrite windows system files on bootup. Someone detailed this here: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29497693&sid=dd... I had this happen to me a few weeks ago, on a new Lenovo laptop, doing a clean install with a new SSD, Win 8 DVD + wifi turned off. I couldn't understand how a Lenovo ser…

Q: If I use linux as a host OS for VMWare, and install a Windows guest, will I avoid these types of issues?

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#96

Post by paulmd »

vetinari wrote: post #23
SamReidHughes wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a big problem, because most people aren't "open source" people. The "open source" people won't even get wifi working. The real problem for Linux users is that the Linux drivers aren't good, or don't support Optimus (do they now?), and you get poor battery life or poor performance or you have to manually do configuration just to get a basic working system.

When did you see the Linux distribution like that? In 2000? Specifically Thinkpad laptops are known to work out of the box with popular Linux distributions.

That's the ideal at least. I tried to install Lubuntu 15.04 on my Thinkpad W510 workstation about two months ago. No display, when I tabbed to console no WiFi or Ethernet. Poked at it for a while, couldn't make it work.

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#97

Post by doktrin »

bitL wrote: post #36
odiroot wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? For me and any others chiclet keyboard (especially ThinkPad style) is a lot nicer than older "touching" sloped keys.

Yes, for you. For me, definitely not. I am getting close to RSI when using any chiclet keyboard besides MBP that somehow made it fairly acceptable but still inferior to original ThinkPad. The rest, like newer ThinkPads, ASUS, Dell, Toshiba etc. are just plain awful, I feel pain in my wrists after ~20 minutes of using them. And a lot of touch typists complain about chiclet keyboards as well. Flatness everywhere is get…

That's interesting. Most people who I've seen share their opinion on this matter prefer the newer Lenovo keyboards to that of MBPs.

Laptopmag also put out a fairly detailed comparison of Lenovo's "old" and "new" keyboards, with the newer island chiclet keys coming out on top, including on measures of audible and tactile feedback :

http://blog.laptopmag.com/thinkpad-type-off-is-lenovos-new-i...

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#98

Post by rosege »

chias wrote: post #73
riquito wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

About thinking before buying Lenovo... I've bought a Lenovo notebook, wanted to download a copy of Windows from them (it's OEM), and searched on their forums for clues, since I didn't find anything on the site. This is what a moderator wrote > If what you wish to achieve is an OEM imaged system, the only way is to obtain official recovery media through official channels. There are no legal downloads available, theref…

Better response than I got. This was just a couple months ago, the laptop shipped with Superfish installed on it in spite of assurances that it wouldn't, so I called them to ask where I could get driver installers for after I wipe / reinstall windows. I was told that I could under no circumstances reinstall Windows (even if I went and bought a brand new Windows license), that it would void my warranty and break every…

I think after superfish and now this anyone would be mad to buy Lenovo - I work for large companies - and I would never ever recommend them (luckily I havent worked somewhere recently that uses them).

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#99

Post by drankinatty »

chias wrote: post #73
riquito wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

About thinking before buying Lenovo... I've bought a Lenovo notebook, wanted to download a copy of Windows from them (it's OEM), and searched on their forums for clues, since I didn't find anything on the site. This is what a moderator wrote > If what you wish to achieve is an OEM imaged system, the only way is to obtain official recovery media through official channels. There are no legal downloads available, theref…

Better response than I got. This was just a couple months ago, the laptop shipped with Superfish installed on it in spite of assurances that it wouldn't, so I called them to ask where I could get driver installers for after I wipe / reinstall windows. I was told that I could under no circumstances reinstall Windows (even if I went and bought a brand new Windows license), that it would void my warranty and break every…

We (the US) allows IBM to sell its PC Division to China which becomes Lenovo, and you are now somehow surprised something like this happens? Failure to retain a comparative advantage in global free trade policy has many downsides. I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Re: Lenovo announces laptops using new mobile Xeon processors

#100

Post by hollerith »

drankinatty wrote: post #99
chias wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better response than I got. This was just a couple months ago, the laptop shipped with Superfish installed on it in spite of assurances that it wouldn't, so I called them to ask where I could get driver installers for after I wipe / reinstall windows. I was told that I could under no circumstances reinstall Windows (even if I went and bought a brand new Windows license), that it would void my warranty and break every…

We (the US) allows IBM to sell its PC Division to China which becomes Lenovo, and you are now somehow surprised something like this happens? Failure to retain a comparative advantage in global free trade policy has many downsides. I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Comparative advantage" has a precise meaning in economics, and this is not one of the situations where the precise meaning applies.

"Strategic advantage" would be a better fit for your comment.

The majority of the profit from the sale of Windows PCs goes to Microsoft because everything in the PC besides the operating system are "commodities", meaning they are available from multiple suppliers who must compete with each other. (Actually Intel might be taking a significant fraction of the profits, too; I'm not sure.) Lenovo wants to become more than a supplier of a commodity because in a mature, shrinking market, there is little profit in supplying a commodity, and it is being clumsy and ham-handed about it, which annoys their customers.

I don't see how this is a danger to the US. If Lenovo persists in being clumsy, customers will simply shift to other suppliers. This is not a social crisis; this is just a relative newcomer to the game who did pretty well when the market was expanding and is not responding well to the end of the expansion.

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