Both Lenovo and HP are now offering Linux, pre-installed and with full technical support, on select laptop computer models.
Lenovo, after much waffling, has opted to offer Novell's SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop version 10 (SLED 10) on the ThinkPad T60p model. SLED 10 has made quite a splash, and appears ready for prime time. You can read more about this development by clicking here.
In contrast, HP South Africa has decided to offer Linspire Linux on the HP NX 6110 laptop model. HP has chosen to target a specific market, whereas we can assume Lenovo will sell their Linux laptop offering world-wide. You can read more about the HP South Africa Linux laptop by clicking here.
This news is strategic, in that Linux is now in a condition for use on corporate desktops, and two major companies are offering it. You can expect others to follow suit in the coming months. There are still problems with Linux laptops. In particular, SLED 10 on the ThinkPad T-60p is unable to output video to both an external display and the built-in LCD screen; this is a problem for mobile professionals using the laptop for presentations.