$150 Linux Laptop for the Masses

Xemu writes "Inspired by Negroponte's laptop for children, the Swedish company Medison is now taking orders for their US$150 Linux laptop, the Medison Celebrity. The laptop is a 1.5 GHz Celeron M 370 with 14 inch screen, wireless network and it comes with Fedora Red Hat pre-installed." Update 2035 GMT by SM: As many readers have pointed out, the more you dig into the details of this company the more fishy it starts to seem. I would suggest any potential buyers be wary on this one.

Comments

Sure...

[Shadow Wrought]

But will it run Li- Oh. Right. Never mind.

laptop for children truly !!

[middlemen]

Among all available distributions, the company has installed Fedora, which by default does not come with installations of mplayer and other music software and libraries. This is a truly educational laptop where children will have to learn to use Linux and install software just to reach the end goal of watching porn. Finally, someone is not thinking of but thinking for the children.

It may be fraud

[amorsen]

There is a lot of speculation currently about whether this is fraud. They may be intending to run away with the money and not send out any laptops.

Re:It may be fraud

[WrongMonkey]

Now that you mention it, one thing that should set off the fraud alarm is the 4-6 weeks delivery time. That's a eon in terms of modern service, but a long enough time to collect a lot of orders before anyone expects to receive their product.

Re:It may be fraud

[theelectron]

I like how on the order page, the verified by Visa and Mastercard mastercode logos (which should have links from them to verify their authenticity) are just pictures on the site. Very fishy indeed.

Re:It may be fraud

[jointm1k]

There is a lot of speculation currently about whether this is fraud. They may be intending to run away with the money and not send out any laptops.

I doubt this is a fraud. They accept credit cards, like Visa.

Smells fishy...

[Da_Biz]

See comments from Engadget:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/medison-celebri ty-150-of-linux-laptop-for-the-people

This one looks particularly concerning:

Johan Löfgren @ Jul 25th 2007 12:02PM

Hello fellas. I came across this site, when searching for information about this computer. With that pricetag, it would be a brilliant surf & chat computer for me.

I'm a swedish student, and I found an article in a larger web-newspaper in sweden and was amazed..

Sadly though, when reading comments all over, at swedish sites, this thing starts to smell very very rotten..

The speculation is about this beeing a scam, in the same way that you've mentioned above.

There's bankrupcy issues, lies at the homepage, weird and incomplete messages from the people behind this "madison" company. The screenshots of the computer, has been found at other manufacturers. Companies, that Madison claim to work with, hasn't heard of the connection..

The things above, has been discovered by many people, at different swedish sites. Even more than that.

The 4-6 week delivery time, sounds perfect to grab as much cash as possible and run.

No-one can find anyone with an example of this computer. People doesn't believe this thing even exist.

I recommend all of you, to wait and see how everything turns out here in sweden, before you buy this. As most swedes do right now.. Wait and see if the first computers arrive at all.

I hope that this isn't a scam. I'd love to buy one. I'd love if the promised "future generation" will arrive.

But this thing doesn't feel safe.

Cincearly
-Johan Löfgren. Orebro, Sweden

Re:Smells fishy...

[LWATCDR]

Well there is an old saying.
If it sounds too good to be true...

But running a scam like this out of Sweden seems like a big risk to me. But then I have no idea how good the Swedish legal system is. I thought they had some very strong consumer protection laws. It is probably safer to buy this if you live in Sweden than the US.

Re:Smells fishy...

[RAMMS EIN]

Damn. It sounded so good.

Come to think of it, maybe that should have been the first warning.

Re:Medison?

[Kamineko]

Here:

*offers spoonful of sugar*

That should help it go down.

IKEA?

[KeepQuiet]

So I guess IKEA finally got into computer business:)

take this off slashdot

[b4thyme]

shouldn't this be taken off of slashdot to reduce free advertising for a potential scam?

Re:The fine print

[jmorris42]

> It might take one or two weeks longer to get the laptop.

No, it might take that long (it says elsewhere 4-6 weeks plus they can shine people on for another week or two) for them to get cash from the credit card clearing house before they disappear. Add up the BOM on that machine and they can't buy those parts in 100,000 lots for $150USD. Scam.

Don't buy or leave your credit card data. Scam.

[Qbertino]

It's a scam. Editors, please extend the story accordingly.

It comes with a very powerful battery

[Pap22]

2.2Kg with 6 cells Lithium-lion battery

ROOOOAAAAARR!!!

Almost certainly a scam

[unicron02]

Medison Europe United was incorporated less than 2 weeks ago: http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/02f0dac25c029c53 8688518e70982ba3/compdetails

Also, take a look at the address provided

27 RUFFETS WOOD
GRAVESEND
KENT
DA12 5JQ

My my, Nordic Multimedia Distribution Limited is listed as having the same address: http://www.ukdata.com/company-credit-reports/NORDI C-MULTIMEDIA-DISTRIBUTION-LIMITED.html
GI Finance Limited is located here as well: http://www.simplycreditreports.com/company-number/ 05905858.html
La Vida Art Limited: http://www.companiesgate.co.uk/LA+VIDA+ART+LIMITED .aspx
BYGG Invest Limited: http://www.ukdata.com/company-credit-reports/BYGG- INVEST-LIMITED.html
HG Shiprepair Limited: http://www.companiesgate.co.uk/HG+SHIPREPAIR+LIMIT ED.aspx
Also, Ken-Erik Limited is listed as having the same address: http://www.companiesgate.co.uk/KEN-ERIK+LIMITED.as px

I checked google maps to see if I could locate the address: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2 7+ruffets+wood,+gravesend,+kent+england&sll=37.062 5,-95.677068&sspn=49.71116,81.738281&ie=UTF8&t=k&z =16&iwloc=addr&om=1

Looks a lot like a residential area, either house/condo/apartment, definatley not a corporate or even industrial location.

SLASHDOT IS ENABLING SCAMMERS

[glindsey]

Change the article to note that this is a scam.

Yes, this is redundant, but I don't care. Every minute that Slashdot keeps this "story" up on the web page is another minute that they are providing free advertising for scam artists.

I'm sure that Slashdot's sponsors would love to know that they are accomplices to fraud.

Change the article, or take it down.

Mr. Ivancic

[Daniel K. Attling]

After some light diggin thru public registers this is what I've found out about the owner of Medison.

Valdi Ivancic, born 1970-03-26, has a filed residens on Holmgatan 16F, 37138 Karlskrona. However he is also listed as living on Lundenvägen 24, 56134 Huskvarna. The Huskvarna listing also has a cell phone number for MR Ivancic, +46-76-3384142.

Whois information for medisoncelebrity.com refers to the Huskvarna address but lists another cell phone number +46-70-7572858 and also states the mans email address to be valdi_ivancic@hotmail.com.

Also residing at the Huskvarna address is one Ljubo Ivancic, born 1947-08-14, listed with a land line number of +46-36-131524 and a cell phone number of +46-70-4326089.

Neither Medison or Medison Consulting seem to be registered trademarks in Sweden.

medison.se was registered 2007-02-09 and medisoncelebrity.com was registered 2007-04-11.

Re:Sure looks like a scam. Pull up a whois on it

[mazanoid]

Registration Service Provided By: Surftown Domains
Contact: dns@surf-town.net
Visit: http://www.support.surftown.com/
Of course if you're too lazy, I've already pulled one up.
The three key points:
1) Domain name registered in april 07, for a term of ONE YEAR, how many hardware companies do you know who put up a domain for 1 year? Obviously only the companies that don't expect to be in business for a second year.
2) The contacts are at hotmail. Okay, that's not good. Usually a hardware company would register itself with a DBA company name instead of a "Valdi Ivancic valdi_ivancic@hotmail.com", leaving
human name contacts for administrative and technical contacts.
3) The site hoster.... Surf-net charges .99# / year....with low setup fee, smells fishy....someone's going the cheap route about their corporate site.
4) company can't afford a fax? Interesting.
at least the scammer hasn't used anonymity services during registration.

My two trollish cents.

Domain name: medisoncelebrity.com

Registrant Contact:

      Valdi Ivancic (valdi_ivancic@hotmail.com)
      +46.707572858
      Fax:
      Lundenvagen 24
      Huskvarna, 561 34
      SE

Administrative Contact:

      Valdi Ivancic (valdi_ivancic@hotmail.com)
      +46.707572858
      Fax:
      Lundenvagen 24
      Huskvarna, 561 34
      SE

Technical Contact:
      Surftown A/S
      DNS Administrator (dns@surf-town.net)
      +45.70200776
      Fax: +45.70200776
      Lautrupsgade 9, 1
      KÿFFFFF8benhavn ÿFFFFD8, 2100
      DK

Status: Active

Name Servers:
      ns1.surf-town.net
      ns2.surf-town.net
      ns3.surf-town.net

Creation date: 11 Apr 2007 19:04:10
Expiration date: 11 Apr 2008 19:04:10

Re:Sure looks like a scam. Pull up a whois on it

[nnm.one]

Organisationsnr: Företagsnamn(firma): Företagsform: Firmatyp: Län: Status:
19 700326-2016 1 Medison Consulting E Firma 10
556525-1096 Medison Data AB AB Firma 10 Konkurs avslutad
916575-3832 MEDISON Handelsbolag HB Firma 04 Avregistrerad
969622-6852 Medison Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 Avregistrerad
969627-7657 Medison Inlärning Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 Avregistrerad
969628-2749 Medison Media Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 Avregistrerad

-----------------

Let me translate that:

Organisation Number: Company Name(firma): Företagsform: Firmatyp: State: Status:
19 700326-2016 1 Medison Consulting E Firma 10
556525-1096 Medison Data AB AB Firma 10 Bankrupt
916575-3832 MEDISON Handelsbolag HB Firma 04 De-registered
969622-6852 Medison Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 De-registered
969627-7657 Medison Inlärning Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 De-registered
969628-2749 Medison Media Handelsbolag HB Firma 06 De-registered
--
https://snr3.bolagsverket.se/snrgate/default.jsp
(Search for 'medison')
--

http://www.mufjonkoping.se/medisonVSclevo.JPG

Pictures stolen from a company named "Clevo" that is based in Taiwan. Yet they claim that they are assembled in Brazil and that they
will continue to do that until they have their manufactoring facility ready there.

--

It's a scam, nothing more to see here, move along now.

P.S
Their demand that they are/will be getting (as pointed out by a member of some other forum) will surpass the ones on Apples MacBooks, it is highly unlikely that this company from out of nowhere will be able to supply.