$1.2 billion Windows deal with Chinese PC maker
Seattle PI | at | by Mike
Chinese President Hu Jintao doesn't arrive at Microsoft until this afternoon, but already his visit isn't looking too shabby for the company.
PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd. announced plans Monday to spend $1.2 billion on copies of the Windows operating system over the next year -- the largest in a series of deals between Microsoft and China's major computer companies before Hu's visit.
Lenovo plans to use the Windows versions in computers worldwide, but a sizable portion of them will be in China, where Lenovo leads the PC market. In that way, it's part of a broader effort to combat piracy in China by ensuring that legitimate software is installed on PCs before they're released.