Lenovo Group, the world’s fourth largest maker of personal computers, said that Microsoft Windows 7 operating system would finally catalyze PC users to upgrade and replace their systems with newer ones. The claim does seem to be important since the vast majority of Lenovo’s customers are enterprises, who have been cutting their spending this year.

"It will have a big impact, and we have made a lot of preparations for it," Lenovo Chairman Liu Chuanzhi said in an interview with Reuters news-agency, but declined to make any concrete predictions.

Last week Lenovo released its ThinkPad SL410 and SL510 laptops aimed at small business customers and based on Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. The firm also plans to release its IdeaPad netbook featuring Nvidia GeForce 9400M/Ion core-logic set with advanced graphics core and Windows 7 shortly. A little later the firm will release ThinkPad T400s, R400 and X200 laptops, X200 Tablet, ThinkCentre A58 and M58 desktops and ThinkStation S20 and D20 workstations with Windows 7 for business users. Consumers will be able choose a variety Windows 7 of Idea-branded PCs including the IdeaPad Y550, Y450, U450, 450p, U350 and IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop.

Sales of Lenovo have been declining for many years now partly due to the fact that businesses started to reduce their PC spending rather dramatically and partly due to lack of robust consumer line of personal computers. Although Lenovo has introduced its consumer-oriented Idea line, it yet has to contribute to the company’s recover.

Other high-ranking executives, for example chief executive officers of Advanced Micro Devices and Intel Corp., publicly expressed hopes that sales of personal computers will increase due to the launch of Windows 7. Traditionally, sales of PCs do grow when Microsoft releases its new OSs, however, as a consequence of global economic slowdown, this year the situation may be different.

Tags: Lenovo, ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, Ideapad, IdeaCentre