Buyers of Lenovo computers, including ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops, Lenovo 3000 PCs and Lenovo-brand PCs available in China will soon have Windows Live software and and Windows Live Toolbar preinstalled on their machines.

This is potentially a coup for Microsoft. Lenovo computers (many branded with the IBM logo) previously shipped with the Google Desktop and Toolbar applications preinstalled (my Thinkpad X-60 came with the software, and despite my best efforts to uninstall it and reinstall an un-branded version of Google's tools, the Lenovo logo still remains).

I've asked Microsoft whether this means they've displaced Google on Lenovo computers, but haven't heard back yet. I'll update this post when I have more information.

Buyers of Lenovo computers, including ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops, Lenovo 3000 PCs and Lenovo-brand PCs available in China will soon have Windows Live software and and Windows Live Toolbar preinstalled on their machines.

This is a minor coup for Microsoft. Lenovo computers (many branded with the IBM logo) previously shipped with the Google Desktop and Toolbar applications preinstalled (my Thinkpad X-60 came with the software, and despite my best efforts to uninstall it and reinstall an un-branded version of Google's tools, the Lenovo logo still remains).

Update: Microsoft has confirmed that they've displaced Google on Lenovo computers.