State Department bans Lenovo PCs from classified work
By Marc Perton 
posted May 19th 2006 10:45AM
posted May 19th 2006 10:45AM
Remember a few months ago when the US State Department ordered thousands of Lenovo PCs despite concerns by some that the boxes could be infested with evil Commie spyware? Well, the computers have apparently been delivered, and the government has now decided those concerns should be taken seriously. The 16,000 Lenovo computers will basically be quarantined from other government computers, and won't be used for any classified work. Which we assume means they'll be used for games of Solitaire and BitTorrent downloads of patriotic anthems. C'mon guys, let's get real here. Sure, Lenovo's computers are made in China. But so are plenty of other computers, including Apple's shiny new MacBooks. And ThinkPads and ThinkCenters were made in China, in the exact same factories, even when IBM still owned the brands. The fact is, if Chinese spymasters really wanted to use PCs to check in on the US government, they could do it without Lenovo. We're not suggesting that the government not be wary of international espionage. But if they really want to get serious about it, there are better ways to do it than buying 16,000 computers and then limiting their use to back-office functions.
I hear some of those laptops will be sent to water facilities, where they will surely release fluoride into the supply. Good luck Americans.
Think of a data packet that leaves a computer as it goes through systems made in a whole bunch of countries: the originating software's designed in the States, coded in India . . . then it gets sent over German infrastructure to a French-made router through an Israeli-made firewall and into another Chinese-made computer. . .
If you want something classified, just keep it offline ;)
Maybe the government just wanted some new laptops!
The only way to get them though, was to say they need the laptops for classified data usage.
Then they go off telling the rest of the country that it might be bugged.
So now they tell us that they are going to use the laptops for different means.
Now the government has 16,000 laptops paid for with our tax money. They will give them away at office parties of just take one as a grab bag. Laptops will be used for non work criteria such as porn and video games. yeay!
All justified because they made their people believe they *accidently* bought 16,000 laptops and now they think its bugged. Instead of throwing it way, lets just lend it for other uses. (yea right)
instead, why dont they just donate it to public schools!
RE: "5. Good thing they realized this *after* they spent all that money to buy them."
=== How else would a "friend" of some govt official get their cut of the deal? Follow the money!!
Think about it; it would make a lot more sense for China to sabotage laptops manufactured in China but designed by a US company to arouse less suspicion. Given their control over the economy, it wouldn't be too hard.
ironically, the particular model systems purchased under this agreement are assembled in North Carolina & Mexico.
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