Lenovo bundles StarOffice

Google isn't the only one jumping on the Sun software bandwagon, it seems.

Late last week, China's Lenovo Group said it will bundle Sun's StarOffice 8 software in Lenovo's latest ThinkPad R51e notebook. The offer is only good in Singapore, however, according to representatives with both companies.

StarOffice 8, which is based on the open source OpenOffice.org, comprises five parts: StarOffice Writer, Impress, Calc, Base and Draw. It also can convert Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

The software is the first one of its kind to use the OASIS-backed OpenDocument format, the same file format that has recently been endorsed by the state of Massachusetts and the European Union.

The R51e, which retails in the United States starting at $899, is powered by an Intel Pentium M processor, wireless networking capabilities and a 14.1-inch display.

While Lenovo's "Think" brand is usually spotted waving the Microsoft Windows banner, the company does ship PCs with Red Hat Linux, but without any productivity software.