Lenovo has denied claims it plotted with Microsoft to block installation of Linux on its Signature Edition laptops and PCs.
The company says it “does not intentionally block customers using other operating systems such as Linux”, following criticism generated after a Reddit thread highlighted an issue with Linux installations on Signature Edition Lenovo Yoga 900 ISK2 UltraBooks.
User BaronHK claimed it was impossible to install the alternative OS on the device due to the SSD being locked in a proprietary RAID mode, which is currently unsupported by Linux.
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Owner reports and reviews then begun to emerge claiming the same was true of the the Yoga 900S, and Yoga 710S.
Compounding matters, a ‘Lenovo Product Expert’ seemingly responded to a Best Buy customer’s complaint online with the following:
“This system has a Signature Edition of Windows 10 Home installed. It is locked per our agreement with Microsoft.”
But Lenovo’s statement claims the problem has nothing to do with any agreement with Microsoft, and is due to a change in how the SSD is configured on the Signature Edition machines.
The full statement can be read here, where the firm says the Yoga design “requires very specific, complex and unique drivers that require even greater amounts of testing, to ensure class-leading performance with Windows 10”.
It then claims the RAID storage controller mode is designed to “support our Yoga products and our industry-leading 360-hinge” before stating it “does not intentionally block customers using other operating systems”.
Just how a storage controller mode can support a hinge design remains unclear, but the message is clear from Lenovo.
Still, it doesn’t seem to have satisfied certain Lenovo customers, who have hit out at the company in a thread on the support forums.
TrustedReviews has reached out to Microsoft for a comment.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.