For those of us still waiting for Linux to hit the desktop, this type of packaging may be exactly how the move from Windows starts to pick up steam.

The IBM Client for Smart Work was first launched in South Africa in September and was initially geared toward emerging markets. IBM found that there was strong interest in the U.S. and other markets that had aging PC infrastructure and little desire for continued Windows upgrades.

The U.S. version of the package contains a number of IBM products including word processing and spreadsheets via Lotus Symphony, e-mail via Lotus Notes or LotusLive iNotes, and collaboration tools from LotusLive.com. As with the previously launched initiative, the package runs on Ubuntu Linux.

Bob Sutor, IBM’s vice president of Linux and open source, told me that the target is not a drop-in replacement scenario, but rather something for IT shops that don’t want to be stuck in an endless cycle of upgrading desktop operating systems and applications.

This is an interesting development for multiple reasons:

* IBM and Canonical are teaming up to bring Linux to the desktop, offering what could be considered a next-generation thin-client that relies on cloud services but remains based on an actual operating system rather than just running in a Web browser.
* IBM is targeting Windows installations in the co-opetition model the company excels in–effectively insulating itself regardless of who wins the desktop.
* Canonical is building a channel to deliver solutions rather than depend on individuals and organizations to roll their own.

IBM has been making some interesting moves of late, launching a cloud-based e-mail and collaboration suite to rival Google Apps and now a direct attack on Microsoft’s operating system footprint.

Nokia (NYSE:NOK)’s first netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, is the equivalent of four aces. There is simply no other product that packs as much cutting-edge technology into a 2.5-pound Windows 7 package for less than $300.

By working closely with Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) and AT&T (NYSE:T), Nokia has delivered a killer netbook that is priced at only $299 with a two-year service agreement from AT&T.

Make no mistake about it. Nokia has just set a new price/performance standard for netbooks that is going to cause Acer, Asus, Hewlett-Packard and the rest of the netbook pack to lower prices or provide more cutting-edge features for that sub-$300 price tag.

There may be other lower-priced netbooks subsidized by wireless service provider contracts, such as the HP (NYSE:HPQ) Mini 1151NR netbook for $200 with Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Internet access that begins at $39.99 per month. But there is no other netbook that offers 12-hour battery life with 3G wireless capability.

The biggest loser in the Windows 7 netbook bonanza may well be Acer and Wal-mart, which had teamed to offer a sub-$300 netbook. Look for a Wal-mart-Acer price rollback.

Combining the AT&T wireless service as part of the Nokia Booklet 3G bundle is the Acer killer here. AT&T, by the way, is the exclusive wireless service provider in the U.S. for the Apple iPhone. Look for Apple CEO Steve Jobs to closely examine that AT&T-Nokia deal as AT&T attempts to negotiate a new contract with Apple. That AT&T-iPhone contract is set to expire in 2010.

By the way, even with Apple (NSDQ:AAPL)’s Midas marketing touch, you can’t tell me that there aren’t a good number of iPhone users sick and tired of surfing the Net on an eye-straining tiny smartphone screen. Don’t think that some potential iPhone buyers aren’t going to eye and buy the Nokia Booklet 3G. That is going to irk Jobs to no end.

Also look for the Nokia Booklet 3G to cause a lot of people who were thinking about buying a desktop to choose the netbook alternative. You don’t need to be a geek to appreciate a small footprint system with a 10.1-inch display that lets you surf the Internet anytime, anywhere and anyplace.

It is no small matter that the Nokia Booklet 3G comes preloaded with Windows 7 and will be available on the first day the long-awaited operating system is launched Oct. 22. In fact, the Nokia Booklet 3G is a poke in the eye to all those who thought Windows 7 with its smaller footprint and faster load times does not have the chutzpah to drive a hardware refresh.

Congratulations to Nokia, Microsoft, AT&T and Best Buy for all combining here to set a new high watermark for netbooks. Best Buy might not get those same long lines you see at the Apple store when Apple releases a new iPhone. But my bet is the Booklet 3G is going to create enough buzz and excitement to draw a crowd of tech-savvy shoppers to Best Buy and a boatload of netbook sales for Nokia.