Huawei can’t use Windows on new laptops anymore

Sep 16, 2019 05:49 GMT  ·  By

Huawei has recently started selling laptops with Linux pre-installed after the company was added to the Entity List of the United States government and is no longer allowed to use Windows on new devices.

The mid-May sanction has forced the Chinese tech giant to look for alternatives, and while everybody knew Linux was the first option, Huawei has been working hard on its very own operating system as well.

Called HongMeng, this project eventually turned to be a platform for IoT devices, but it can easily convert to mobile and desktop if needed.

However, Linux appears to be Huawei’s choice in the short term, and the company thus launched the very first devices running this operating system in its home market.

Cheaper laptops

Matebook 13, Matebook 14, and Mateboox X Pro coming with Deepin Linux pre-installed are now available at VMALL, and the funny thing is that they’re even cheaper than their Windows siblings. This is most likely because of no licensing costs, but the Linux versions overall are more compelling for consumers looking for a powerful laptop.

Deepin Linux, which itself is developed in China, should help make Windows forgotten in Huawei’s PC lineup, albeit depending on how the talks over the US restrictions go, the Chinese firm can return to Microsoft’s operating system at any point in the future.

What’s important to know, however, is that Linux-powered Huawei laptops are only available in China for the time being, and it’s not yet known if the company wants to go for a similar approach in international markets as well.

Without a doubt, however, if there’s no other way around the ban, Huawei is fully prepared to bet all-in on Linux to keep its PC business alive, so don’t be too surprised if more laptops running Linux go live in the coming months.

Via TechRepublic