DesktopOS.com has interviewed Mike Hjorleiffsson, President of Element Computer, and Jason Spisak, Element’s Vice President Marketing (and former Lycoris employee). The interview is focused on ION, Element’s new Xandros-based operating system.
Interview with Element Computer executives
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
ION is *just* Xandros…. And I personally know Jason and he has no morals..
I tried buying a Helium laptop from them back in december when they first started selling them. It ended up being a nightmare.
First, I ordered my computer in early december and my credit card was changed at that time. When the computer didn’t promptly show up at my door, I started to inquire and got many excuses about bugs in the order system, hardware problems with the laptops, fedex not picking things up when they said they would. I asked for a credit on my charge card several time only to be told the laptop would ship very soon.
I finally got my laptop in early January and it didn’t even work. Some power connection didn’t work unless the screen was in just the right position. Being fed up with all problems I just asked for a refund. There were problems with the returned not being shipped right, and I was blamed despite Element computer being the one who setup the fedex return. I had to dispute the charges on my credit card to get my money back.
In the end I got an iBook and I’m very happy with it.
I really hope that Element Computers gets it’s act together or that I was some sort of freak case, because I like the concept of what they are doing. It would be a shame for it to die just because it’s being poorly executed.
Answered most of the questions I had. Its clear that they are tryng to add some of the Macs advantages to the already substantial advantages of Linux. Its a good idea, but they are missing one VERY LARGE point!
Wheres the desktops? Not that all-in-one iMac wannabe, I mean plain old cheap commodity ATX computers!
If they offered cheap commodity PCs with a Mac like experience, they could possibly be very successful. It doesn’t look good at this point though, if they missed somthing so obvious already.
I also tried buying a Helium laptop from them just three weeks ago. It ended up being a nightmare for me, too, so nothing has changed at Element, obviously.
I ordered my computer and my credit card was charged immediately. I started to inquire and found out that they don’t stock these things, and can’t tell me when they are definitely going to get them. And they do have my money, still.
Element Computer has apparently not learned a damn thing. They need a lesson in law and ethics. The company that makes these computers, by the way, is at http://www.clevo.com.tw
If Clevo had a link with a US distributor that had enough money to actually stock their products (which is what a genuine distributor does) and was willing to follow the law, then Clevo and the public would be far better served. Clevo does make good products. Element just makes them look very bad, that’s all.
I’ve ahd the same experience. I bought back when they were stocking Toshiba products, and when they were *Desktop Evolution* – hard to get the products then too.
Same experience. I ordered mine, had to chase them down to get any status report (after they’d already taken my money), and got, “Maybe next week,” followed by, “Maybe by the end of the month,” and…well, I gave up at that point. The best thing I can say about Element Computer is that I had no problems getting my money back. They do have a nice system (a co-worker has one and it’s very groovy) if you can get them to ship you one.