Some "partner" Lenovo is...

[Giblet]

Without knowing the contractual details, I still find it sad that such a huge sponsor like Lenovo is having Williams pay for a supercomputer.

If I was corporate sponsor for a team like Williams, with it's history and upward performance swing, I would at least have it appear that it was part and parcel to their "partnership" (a McLaren term).

From the outside I would assume that Lenovo doesn't make the best supercomputers, with IBM leading that field, so they were locked in to using the Lenovo box.

Even if Vodafone doesn't give its handsets away for free to the team, it appears that way to the potential customers.

[mx_tifoso]

Without knowing the contractual details, I still find it sad that such a huge sponsor like Lenovo is having Williams pay for a supercomputer.

I dont have the contractual details either, but I'm practically sure that Williams is not paying full price for the "supercomputer" from their sponsor/technical partner Lenovo.

But if this new "supercomputer" helps out Williams as much as it should, then it will most definately be worth purchasing it, whether it is as full price or not.

Good strategy/move by Williams.

Now they are really going to hand it to Toyota! (And then watch out Renault!)

[joseff]

Sauber's AMD-based Albert and Intel-based Albert2 are also built with off-the-shelf PC parts. Seems to work for them. I can't see why having Lenovo supply the computer is a bad thing performance-wise.

The whole purpose of any computer equipment is to run the software. I'm sure the specs have been sorted out by Williams' software suppliers.

Here's a nerd's point-of-view on McLaren's computing setup from 2005:
http://www.linksheaven.com/?p=319

[Saribro]

From the outside I would assume that Lenovo doesn't make the best supercomputers, with IBM leading that field, so they were locked in to using the Lenovo box.

Actually, Lenovo bought several IBM computer divisions recently :). (The consumer PC division probably being the most noticable, publicly.)

[waynes]

with a big logo on the side of the car, i really cannot see a multi world championship winning team having to pay for a decent pc built by some nerds

[Rob W]

...I would assume that Lenovo doesn't make the best supercomputers, with IBM leading that field, so they were locked in to using the Lenovo box.

Even if Vodafone doesn't give its handsets away for free to the team, it appears that way to the potential customers.

I think you'll find Lenovo recently bought large chunks of IBM. F1 teams will have specific computing needs which no one company could probably cater for fully.

Moreso, Vodafone don't make any handsets at all. They are mobile service provider.

Rob W

[Giblet]

I was aware of that Vodafone is only a provider, but they wouldn't give out unbranded phones would they now? Rawr Nitpicking!

[scarbs]

I used to work for HP when they supplied a number of F1 teams. Despite the teams being small companies in terms of the amount of hardware they bought, the teams got major customer discount on the hardware, but more importantly they got all the services (i.e. design, consultancy and implementation) for free. The teams really did get special service, often someone from the office would have to run urgent bits of hardware up to the teams in their own cars. Rarely was this service provided for any other customer.

I expect Lenovo are making Williams pay the cost for the basic assets (i.e. the hardware) this would be a fraction of the total costs for such a major project.