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Presents an interview with Steve Ward, who will become Lenovo Group Ltd.'s chief executive after a 26-year career at International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), the computer maker that recently acquired Lenovo. Challenges facing Ward as he attempts to make Lenovo, a small computer maker in China, a player in the global market for personal computers; Statistics indicating that IBM has slipped behind Dell Inc. and the world's No. 1 supplier of PCs; Lenovo's organizational structure, which will have executive spread out around the world; Ward's view of the deal between IBM and Lenovo; Ward's response to critics of the deal; View of China's economic growth; Competition with Dell; Plans for Lenovo's consumer-marketing efforts; Technological innovations from Lenovo; Lenovo's expected presence in the U.S. computer market; Thoughts on a Western executive running a Chinese company.

The article reports on the search by the Chinese Academy of Sciences for a buyer of its stake in Legend Holdings Ltd., the parent company of Lenovo Group Ltd. The academy is asking 2.76 billion Chinese yuan for a 29% stake in Legend. According to the academy, any buyer must pledge not to change settled company strategy or management for five years. Lenovo is the fourth-largest computer maker by shipments which posted a loss of 16 million U.S. dollars for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.

The article focuses on the reaction of investors to the release of the quarterly financial results of computer maker Lenovo Group on August 6, 2009. During the announcement of the small loss incurred by the company, the challenge posed by its plan to switch its focus to emerging markets was emphasized by its chairman. There was a 5.2% increase in the stock of Lenovo by the end of the day. The financial results of the firm are attributed to sales in China.

The article reports that Lenovo Group Ltd. is betting that farmers in rural China can help the computer company reap profits. It plans to begin selling a ripped down low cost personal computer (PC) aimed at China's rural population. Priced at between $199 and $399, the PC will include a keyboard and processor, but it will use the customer's television set as a monitor.