For those of us that buy IBM’s computers in large numbers, this is more than just a little interesting. From news.com:

*IBM will sell its PC division to China-based Lenovo and take a minority stake in the former rival in a deal valued at $1.75 billion, the companies announced Tuesday. *

The two companies announced a plan to form a complex joint venture that would make Lenovo the third-largest PC maker in the world, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard, but still give IBM a hand in the PC business. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2005.