Lemote

Lemote, formally Jiangsu Lemote Tech Co., Ltd., was a Chinese computer company established in 2006 as a joint venture between the Jiangsu Menglan Group and the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The company was created soon after the institute developed the Loongson 2E processor and needed a commercial organization capable of turning the research processor into finished products. Lemote therefore occupied an unusual position between state-linked research, domestic computer manufacturing, open-source software, and efforts to make locally developed computing technology available in practical consumer and institutional systems. The company’s portfolio centered on small-form-factor computers, network computers, desktop systems, and netbooks using Loongson processors. Its products included the Fuloong family of compact desktop computers, the Yeeloong netbook, the Lynloong all-in-one desktop, and the Myloong diskless network computer. These machines were intended to provide relatively affordable computing and to demonstrate the usability of Chinese-designed processor technology. One stated aim of the early personal-computer project was to make computers available to broad segments of the population, including lower-income users and students in rural areas. Lemote became particularly visible in free-software circles through the Yeeloong netbook. The machine was designed around free software from the BIOS upward, an approach that sought to avoid proprietary firmware and binary components. Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, used and recommended the Yeeloong during the late 2000s and early 2010s. This association gave Lemote international visibility disproportionate to its apparent commercial scale and positioned the brand as an example of hardware intended to support software freedom as well as domestic processor development. The Fuloong 2 series represented another important part of the brand’s early identity. The Fuloong 2E, introduced during the first generation of Loongson commercialization, used a Loongson 2E processor and a compact desktop enclosure. The later Fuloong 2F, released in 2008, adopted a Loongson 2F processor, DDR2 memory, Gigabit Ethernet, and support for Linux distributions and other Unix-like operating systems. These products were marketed or documented as inexpensive alternatives for basic desktop and network-computing workloads rather than as high-performance mainstream PCs. Lemote also participated in software and platform work connected with its hardware. The company was associated with efforts involving Debian Linux and MIPS architecture ports, as well as work or support related to eCos, MicroC/OS-II, VxWorks, Windows CE, Java, OpenOffice.org, and Yongzhong Office. It also developed a Loongson processor simulator based on GXemul. This software activity helped make Lemote more than a hardware label: it was part of an ecosystem intended to make Loongson systems usable with operating systems, development tools, and office applications. In 2011, the company announced or was reported to be developing laptops based on quad-core Loongson 3A processors. The Yeeloong-8133, described as a 13.3-inch laptop, was announced with a Loongson 3A or 2GQ processor and Linux as the default operating system. The model showed Lemote’s attempt to extend its product range beyond low-cost mini-desktops and netbooks into more capable portable computers. The available reference material documents Lemote’s early products and technical activities but does not establish its present operating status, ownership, headquarters, current product range, or continued operation. Its official website was reported as defunct by January 2019, while older English-language material survives through web archives. Accordingly, Lemote is best described as a historically significant Chinese Loongson computer brand whose strongest documented identity lies in low-cost, Linux-oriented, and open-hardware-compatible personal computing.

Lemote was established in June 2006 as Jiangsu Lemote Tech Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the Jiangsu Menglan Group and the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The venture followed the institute’s development of the Loongson 2E processor. A commercial company was needed to convert the processor technology into complete computers, and Lemote was created to perform that role. The company’s early direction combined affordable computing with domestic processor development. Lemote staff and researchers described a goal of making personal computers accessible to ordinary users, including lower-income groups and students in rural areas. Its hardware portfolio concentrated on compact and relatively inexpensive systems rather than conventional high-end desktops. The company produced small-form-factor computers, network computers, netbooks, and later laptops, generally using Loongson processors and Linux or other operating systems compatible with the MIPS architecture. The Fuloong family was central to Lemote’s desktop offering. The Fuloong 2E used a 667 MHz Loongson 2E processor, a compact enclosure, IDE storage, and a Linux-oriented software environment. The Fuloong 2F followed on 30 June 2008 with a 1 GHz Loongson 2F processor, DDR2 memory, expanded graphics and networking capabilities, and a larger range of supported operating systems. Documentation identified compatibility with Linux distributions as well as OpenBSD and NetBSD. These machines were positioned as inexpensive compact desktops and development or network-computing systems. Lemote’s Yeeloong netbook became its best-known product outside China. The machine was designed with a free-software philosophy extending from the operating system into the firmware layer. This made it notable among contemporary low-cost laptops, many of which depended on proprietary firmware. Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, used and recommended the Yeeloong in the late 2000s and early 2010s. His association helped establish Lemote as a recognizable name among advocates of software freedom, despite the company’s relatively limited mainstream international presence. Other documented products included the Lynloong all-in-one desktop and the Myloong diskless network computer. Lemote also described or worked on Hiloong, a storage center intended for small offices and households. The company’s activities extended beyond finished hardware: it participated in software porting and development work involving Debian Linux, eCos, MicroC/OS-II, VxWorks, Windows CE, Java, OpenOffice.org, and Yongzhong Office. It also developed a Loongson simulator based on GXemul. These activities supported the broader effort to build a usable software ecosystem around Loongson processors. In 2011, Lemote announced a laptop based on the quad-core Loongson 3A processor. The Yeeloong-8133 was described as a 13.3-inch model with a Loongson 3A or 2GQ CPU and Linux installed by default. The product represented a move toward more capable portable systems while retaining the brand’s emphasis on domestic processors and Linux. The reference material does not document Lemote’s later corporate development, current ownership, active products, or present operating status. Its official Chinese website was reported as defunct by January 2019, and surviving English-language information is largely historical or archived. Lemote’s documented legacy is therefore tied to the early commercialization of Loongson processors, low-cost Chinese personal computers, and a rare attempt to combine domestic hardware with a strongly free-software-oriented platform.

• 2011

  Yeeloong-8133 announced

  [1]Lemoteen.wikipedia.org

  Lemote announced a 13.3-inch laptop based on a quad-core Loongson 3A or 2GQ processor, with Linux supplied by default.

• 2008

  Fuloong 2F released

  [1]Lemoteen.wikipedia.org

  Lemote released the Fuloong 2F with a Loongson 2F processor, DDR2 memory, Gigabit Ethernet, and support for Linux and other Unix-like systems.

• 2008

  Yeeloong recognized by free-software advocates

  [1]Lemoteen.wikipedia.org

  The Yeeloong netbook gained international attention through its free-software-oriented firmware and operating-system design and its association with Richard Stallman.

• 2006

  Jiangsu Lemote Tech Co., Ltd. established

  [1]Lemoteen.wikipedia.org

  Jiangsu Menglan Group and the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences formed Lemote after the development of the Loongson 2E processor.

• 2006

  Fuloong 2E documented

  [1]Lemoteen.wikipedia.org

  The Fuloong 2E became an early compact desktop implementation of Loongson 2E technology, using a Linux-compatible software environment.

Domestic, low-cost, Loongson-based computing with strong Linux and free-software orientation.

• Netbook

  Yeeloong

  The Yeeloong was Lemote’s best-known portable computer and was designed around a free-software model extending from the operating system into the BIOS and firmware layers. It used a Loongson processor and attracted attention from the international free-software community. Richard Stallman used and recommended the machine, giving it visibility beyond the Chinese market. The product represented Lemote’s effort to combine low-cost personal computing, domestic processor technology, and freedom from proprietary binary components.

• Compact desktop computer · 2006

  Fuloong 2E

  The Fuloong 2E was an early small-form-factor desktop based on the 64-bit Loongson 2E processor. Reference specifications included a 667 MHz CPU, 256 MB of DDR memory, IDE storage, ATI graphics, 10/100 Ethernet, and multiple USB ports. It was documented as a Linux-compatible low-cost system and could support MIPS-oriented software distributions. Its compact design and accessible positioning reflected Lemote’s focus on affordable domestic computing rather than premium desktop performance.

• Compact desktop computer · 2008

  Fuloong 2F

  Released on 30 June 2008, the Fuloong 2F updated the compact-desktop formula with a 1 GHz Loongson 2F processor, DDR2 memory, 120 GB IDE storage, improved graphics outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, and an infrared receiver. It shipped with a Linux distribution and was also documented as compatible with other Linux systems, OpenBSD, and NetBSD. The model served as a practical showcase for the second generation of Lemote’s low-cost Loongson hardware.

• Laptop · 2011

  Yeeloong-8133

  The Yeeloong-8133 was a 13.3-inch laptop announced in 2011 and based on a Loongson 3A or 2GQ processor. It was described as using a quad-core Loongson design and shipping with Linux by default. The model extended Lemote’s product range from netbooks into a larger and more capable portable computer while maintaining the company’s emphasis on domestic processor technology and open operating-system support.

• All-in-one desktop computer

  Lynloong

  Lynloong was documented as an all-in-one desktop computer that integrated the computer and display into a single enclosure. It formed part of Lemote’s broader range of Loongson-based systems intended for straightforward desktop and institutional use.

• Diskless network computer

  Myloong

  Myloong was a diskless network computer designed to operate as part of a networked computing environment. The documented configuration omitted a monitor and keyboard, suggesting a system intended for institutional, managed, or network-client deployments.

• Network storage system

  Hiloong

  Hiloong was listed as a product in development for small-office and household storage use. The available material does not establish whether it reached commercial release.

• 2008Free-software Yeeloong advocacy

  International free-software community

  Lemote’s Yeeloong gained attention as a computer designed to use free software from the BIOS upward. Richard Stallman’s use and recommendation of the machine functioned as an important form of community endorsement and helped distinguish Lemote from conventional proprietary-PC vendors.

  Outcome. The Yeeloong became the brand’s most internationally recognizable product among free-software advocates, although the available material does not provide sales or market-share results.

  Source

• 2011

  Development and announcement of a Loongson 3A laptopProduct launch

  Background

  Lemote sought to move beyond entry-level netbooks and compact desktops toward more capable portable systems.

  Action taken

  The company announced the Yeeloong-8133, a 13.3-inch laptop using a quad-core Loongson 3A or 2GQ processor and Linux as the default operating system.

  Aftermath

  The announcement demonstrated Lemote’s continued focus on domestically designed processors, although the available material does not establish the model’s eventual commercial scale.

  Source

• 2008

  Release of the Fuloong 2FProduct launch

  Background

  Lemote sought to update its compact desktop range around the newer Loongson 2F processor.

  Action taken

  The company released the Fuloong 2F with a 1 GHz Loongson 2F CPU, DDR2 memory, improved networking and graphics, and a Linux-based software configuration.

  Aftermath

  The model strengthened the Fuloong line as a low-cost demonstration platform for Loongson-based desktop computing.

  Listed launch price. CN¥1,800 (30 June 2008)

  Source

• 2006

  Commercialize Loongson-based end productsStrategy

  Background

  The Institute of Computing Technology had developed the Loongson 2E processor but needed an organization to build complete computers around it.

  Action taken

  Jiangsu Menglan Group and the institute formed Lemote as a joint venture focused on computer hardware, software, services, and related projects.

  Aftermath

  Lemote produced a range of Loongson-based desktops, netbooks, laptops, and network computers, establishing a commercial outlet for the processor technology.

  Source

1. 1Lemoteen.wikipedia.org