14 DAY TRIAL // From the date the small Swedish PC company called Medison announced that they will soon launch a laptop, not like the OLPC's machine the XO, that will only cost $150, the company's claims were called in questions as the price seemed terribly low and the presented laptop looked similar to a system made by another producer. A few days ago, the company's managers and shareholders met with the Swedish press in an attempt to clarify the situation.
Medison's managing director, Valdi Ivancic, presented a live computer in front of the journalists but declined to reveal the manufacturer's name. According to the hardware site ComputerSweden, Valdi Ivancic's comment was: "Medison has a partnership with a manufacturer with whom I was in contact with as recently as last night. We have decided not to reveal which company it is, because it could damage their relationships with other companies. It has been said that it could ruin the market for part of our competition." All the problems and scam accusations begun because the machine "shown on the company's web site, and which was presented at the press conference, has been said to be identical to a product from the Taiwanese supplier Clevo", but Medison's managing director has an answer: "We use standard components, so it may look like they have the same specifications. There are certainly several others that are similar."
According to him, the first laptops will start shipping on August 15 and they have already received thousands of orders. A good point in Medison's favor is their partnership with the well known and established American on-line vendor 2Checkout that said that no money will be withdrawn from the clients before the laptop has been shipped. "Worried customers are welcome to cancel their orders", Ivancic said during the press conference to the Swedish journalists. The Medison company also revealed that the shipping costs are not covered by the $150 price of the computer and that the laptop business will be only a small part of the company's income that expects to sell advertising space on their Web site for manufacturers and vendors of laptop accessories. "It is easier for the customer to find the accessories directly on our site. We have had discussions with several possible partners, which would pay a monthly fee."
About the customer support issue, Valdi Ivancic said that his company is discussing a partnership with Infocare and that there are plans to start the production of the $150 laptop at an assembly plant in Brazil and also at some new facilities in both the U.S. and Europe.