[via BetaNews]

New era?

IBM has put its consumer PC unit up on the auction block, refocusing its efforts on the more profitable corporate server and computer service markets, according to a report in the The New York Times. The sale would likely include all of Big Blue’s desktop workstations and ThinkPad portables, for an estimated price range of $1 billion to $2 billion. Sources tell the Times that Chinese computer maker Lenovo — formerly Legend — is the current top bidder for the business unit that represents 12 percent of IBM’s $92 billion annual revenue.