Lenovo created the Beijing Olympic torch

And i thought Lenovo was only into computers…. i was wrong…

One of China’s biggets PC manufacturers was chosen among 300 nominations for the design of the Beijing 2008 Olympic torch.

Relying on the same design process used to engineer Lenovo PCs, 10 members of the award-winning Lenovo Innovation Design Center (IDC) worked for more than 10 months on the design and technical details of the torch, seeking to infuse it with symbols of both Chinese culture and the spirit of the Olympic Games. The result is the “Cloud of Promise,” a torch that in every way – color, shape, decoration and texture – reflects the traditions and history of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and its host nation.

The inspiration behind the “Cloud of Promise’s” shape and design can be pinpointed to an early brainstorm session held by Lenovo to consider challenges in designing a torch that would symbolize China’s 5,000 years of civilization. A member of the team pointed out that one of China’s great contributions to the world was the invention of paper, and said the traditional Chinese scroll, invented more than a thousand years ago, might serve as a good model. “Rolled paper is a powerful symbol for the Chinese people,” said Yao Ying Jia, General Manager of Lenovo Group’s Innovation Design Centre in Beijing “Since ancient times it was used to hand over writings and drawings from one generation to the next, so it is a symbol of keeping Chinese culture alive and intact.”