Lenovo might not describe their return to the Linux desktop like that, but that’s what they’re doing. Yesterday, November 12th, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs gave the world a sneak peak at the Lenovo ARM Snapdragon-powered smartbook, a cross between a smartphone and a netbook. Jacobs added that Lenovo Linux-based smartbook would make its debut at January’s CES (Computer Electronics Show.

We don’t know, at this point, what Linux it will be running. In an e-mail, Lenovo confirmed that it was developing a smartbook based on the ARM Snapdragon processor and that they expect to announce it at CES, but “Unfortunately, there are no further details at this point.”

Sources at Qualcomm were a little more forthcoming. The smartbook, which adds 3G data telephony technology and GPS, to a netbook design and size-factor, will be built on top of the 1 GHz Snapdragon chipset. This un-named Lenovo smartbook will be an instant-on design with 720p HD video, GPS for location-based services, and a large battery that can deliver power for 8 to 10 hours.

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