JM Mesolite is a good or bad design? So confused :(

You may know that, but some more or less people have the opinion that "only a free template/theme is a good one", so this should be taken into any analysis first.

As you mention, the JA Mesolite design is popular and very good, so same is the JM Mesolite.

Again, "only a free template / theme is a good theme" for those types of users or reviewers, especially when it contains some extensions like product slider and slideshow, what is missing for Magento at all until now and most people like to have such but also only when it is for free.

Maybe you should give all those guys a free theme, like making JM Purity to a free one, they will suddenly say that Joomlart.com is the best and will be satisfied, this is how it always is, they can’t afford it, so in their position it is bad just due this.

"Give a dog a bone…"

Maybe it would help if the demo site didn’t keep timing out, I’ve tried to connect for 2 days no luck.

If the reviewer had the same problem, maybe that explains the use of the static screenshots from preview thread. I also like many others find the JA template demo site down again. Maybe you need to prioritise some things, ensure the demo sites are sufficient to handle heavy traffic loads before you ask ppl to review or look at your critical new demo designs that are important to the survival of JA.

ShannonN

Hung,

The very first template I used from JA was JA Mesolite, I looked at the template and fell totally in love with it! It really is that fantastic.

Also, it is also one of the THE most popular templates on the site (which no doubt you have said).

Now, the users who use Joomla are different to those who use Magento! As sophisticated as the two systems are in their own weird and wonderful ways, users will be used to their own system and it’s properties and abilities for these two systems.

JoomlArt creates a wonderful skeleton for the rest of the world to work off of from allowing creativiity to literally flow out of your ears by customising it to the ends of the earth. Perhaps the same is possible with Magento, I don’t know -- but whatever it may be, the Magento users simply are not used to the style that JoomlArt has brought onto the market of web design (for both Joomla and Magento or otherwise).

The boundary you have crossed from JoomlArt to Magento is a big step for the web, and the way you have integrated one into the other is subtle yet still a big one. So, do not be put off of one person’s one comment (because they did say it was their opinion!)! The world of Magento themes has yet to be explored properly and uniquely -- away from JA lookalike themes -- so give it some time, put in the effort and watch the Magento subscriptions soar through the roof!!!

And one day craigm will look back at JM Mesolite and say "Hey, that’s a pretty nice template"

Oh, and I hope you appreciate my comment!

I am quite surprised to read the very first review

I don’t believe they are honest reviews. If the worst thing they can pick out is that ‘wheel’ is spelled wrong then you have nothing to worry about.

On a scale of 1 to 5 to give this template 1 is insane. Even if you really don’t like it a 2 or 3 would maybe be believable but a 1 is not a true review.

Personally I think you did a great job transferring over and I think that JM Mesolite will be successful.

I’d also agree with Shannon… you need a reliable host! I haven’t been able to access JM Mesolite demo all day and this is REALLY bad when it’s only the second day of release.

PS: You did upload it on Friday 13th! Maybe this was a bad idea?

The review content, the profiles of the reviewers show all what is fact, the reviews are real and this represents their honest standpoint. Sure, it is hard to understand, but people are that way, they do not judge based on those factors others do. When you either do not have the money or do not like paid products for a free open source base product, and only represent this faction of users, which is I would say 70% of users using free software, you simply have that opinion they come up with and do not have to play or fake a review, they just are how they are. I’d say that any other interpretation may be more suspicion.

Both profiles were created several months ago, over half a year ago, plus they have only 1 or 2 posts in the forum, one post infact about an issue with the "add to cart button of Magento", btw they have the typical —psychological profiles— of people that enjoy or live to degrade any paid product without any own business interest but simply due some idealistic opinion. Also when it sounds funny, but you see those anywhere and especially also in Joomla forums. But as for Joomla there is so much free stuff out there, they find no reason to act the same like they do here with Magento.

Simply said, JA has several free Joomla templates, plus the one included in Joomla, JA Purity. I really think to just have made one free template as first Magento template, maybe even in a coop with Magento, offering them a free goodie to work with, as open source matters, and now doing a sole commercial one, would have avoided these types of reviews that are more bad for business. One should never forget about the people that are also a strong supporting party, but they love you for also giving free goodies to the community, also when this is still also a business thing when you are a company or developer, as free goodies also bring paying clients later.

It could have been Rockettheme.com or any other club, they also would have given the same negative review as they now did for JA being the first commercial club for Magento.

Before going into more details, there is something that Hung may do to mitigate the damage. I investigated some of the templates reviewed, and I noticedd that the other image captures were the Home page. Hung must request from the Magento site that the same courtesy be accorded to the JM Mesolite be given the same treatment.

As I posted in another thread, I like the simplicity of the Homepage of JM Mesolite. From what I have seen so far, I also like the multi-level sections-categories, akin to the Teline II news-magazine menu. I am not sure if this multi-level feature is standard in all Magento or commerce sites. I am inclined to think that this is not always the case, but I have limited exposure to these kinds of templates.

To be frank, if I am not familiar with Joomlart, and the capture image I saw first was the one shown in the Magento site, I would be swayed also that the layout was terrible. Such an image, if taken in the context of the comment by:

"craigm posted on Sat, March 14, 2009

Got to wonder about the attention to detail when the word "wheel" is spelt wrong…. Plus surely it is "You are in" not "You are on" And the "add to cart" and "review product" buttons look like they are from completely different designs. The top bar is a bit of a mess as well. Not really a good example of a Magento template, IMHO…"

will make me pause. [Of course, I always have a bad reaction to people who begin or end their comment with "IMHO"…. I am inclined to think that they are anything but humble.]

Taken together, the captured image and the first two comments are really quite damaging (more in a separate response). And, I have to be honest here. When I first used the original Teline, I did notice the incorrect spellings in the terms used. To compound this, when I posted repeatedly that there were errors in some of the directories, I was actually ridiculed by some of the "leaders" in the Forum, at the time.

I am Asian myself. Thus, because of the grammar syntax and structure in our own native languages, we write and speak English, in a different manner. It is also the case that we are not as direct — it is considered rude. [You might notice many of these in my posts.] Academic linguists actually accepted these forms as accepted English in their own right, much like British, Scottish. American, Canadian, Australian, Indian, etc. are considered acceptable in formal communication. This is in agreement that even British English itself evolved in time.

What matters however is that in business, even simple details — errors in spelling, grammar, etc. — do make a difference. This is especially true because there are softwares for spell checkers. Moreover, it might be an added expense, but a company must be willing to hire someone, on contractual basis, to ensure that the manual and software conform to the what is acceptable by the target audience.

I was always fascinated with the idea that in the actual world, perception is just as real because we never live in a perfect world.

Cornelio

Hi Hung,

I am same with hanifahmed, I join JA coz of JA Mesolite, I love this template so much. It even made me successful on SEO. I don’t think the review is true. Maybe craigm just want to attack JA.

But, just don’t take it serious. Everyone has own perception, own opinion.

I am quite surprised to read the very first review from craigm on JM Mesolite on Magento Connect server and asking your opinion from you here will help to blow away my confusion.

How professional does this look demo site down for at least 36 hrs then this and you are asking ppl to preview the latest and greatest from JA? Perhaps you need to monitor the host closely

Invalid attribute requested: special_price
Trace:
#0 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Entity/Collection/Abstract.php(336): Mage::exception(‘Mage_Eav’, ‘Invalid attribu…’)
#1 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Eav/Mysql4/Product/Collection.php(97): Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Collection_Abstract->addAttributeToSelect(‘special_price’, false)
#2 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Entity/Collection/Abstract.php(316): Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Col lection->addAttributeToSelect(‘special_price’, false)
#3 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Eav/Mysql4/Product/Collection.php(97): Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Collection_Abstract->addAttributeToSelect(Array, false)
#4 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php(111): Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Col lection->addAttributeToSelect(Array)
#5 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php(96): Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer->prepareProductCollection(Object(Mage_Catalog_Mode l_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Collection))
#6 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Block/Product/List.php(75):

Etc

Wake up JA and get a decent host, please This does not give a professional tag to JA
ShannonN

How professional does this look demo site down for at least 36 hrs then this and you are asking ppl to preview the latest and greatest from JA?
Wake up JA and get a decent host, please This does not give a professional tag to JA
ShannonN

ShannonN, true the demo site is down, but any true JA member should’ve taken a look at the new template prior to the host messing about. Thus atleast, we should be able to give a good review!

Yes, the members of Magento cannot give a proper review due to the poor screenshot and the site being down, but atleast JA members can give an honest review

And yes, please chase up the host -- this really is unprofessional!

To present a different perspective to this discussion, if I were a perfectionist, I would be more worried, if what I create is well-liked by everyone. Thus, if we create, all we can control is our own — be true to our ideals and goals. We must strive to do our best, to be true to our own sense of beauty and concept of elegance.

It is not always the case, as pointed below, but you have done a great job, if you get extremes of views. In the real world, this means that a perfect 5.0 (in the scoring used) would not be something to be proud of. We must realize that any design most probably would be liked by one individual but not by another. This was apparent for example with the Teline II. Many of us who understood what Teline II could do, loved it; but others who do not realize it potential considered it boring layout. Teline II will not serve everyone’s purpose.

Some could be very passionate of their views, like those who like Apple products, and those who hate the same products, simply because it is from Apple. Some go to the extent of being so vocal about them. I am concerned when some people would hate other people, calling them names and worse, simply because they love Apple, or vice versa.

These differences in perceptions are about our different sense of aesthetic, values and goals. However, if the allegation of Hung in the first post turned out to be true, then it is a different matter altogether:

3. The review is from one of the competitors when JoomlArt is now the first + only Magento template club for Magento and we have the potential to become a big player

It is despicable and unethical for such a person to do so. It is a mark of a person who is not too familiar with the word, integrity. Potential conflict of interest is the reason why witnesses are cross-examined before they sit as a member of a jury panel, the same is true of judges. In scientific journals and reputable publications, authors are required to sign "conflict of interest" disclosures. Similar rules apply in many other endeavors and forms of transactions.

This "conflict of interest" principle is a double-edeged sword. Just as one must not malign others, if there is a conflict of interest, one must also recuse from taking action that could benefit one’s self without a similar disclosure. This means that neither Hung (nor staff of Joomlart) nor those who own businesses that may be construed to be potential competitors of Joomlart must vote to rate teh product.

From a more personal experience, one of the developers of a Links Directory from one of the former USSR countries, once sent me an exclusive T-shirt, via a courier, all the way from his country. A few of us did work sharing ideas to improve the software. I thought he was just grateful, that I was one of those early users of their "free product" and then encouraged the start up company to create a commercial and more powerful version. Then, a few days later — after I confirmed that I received the package, and thanked him by email — I got a request from him if I could write a review for Hotscripts. I did not decline actually because I really liked it. However, I told him that I will write the review when I had a chance to install and try the finished product. He never wrote to me again, I assume because he wanted the review before the stable commercial product is released.

Nonetheless, I have a lifetime unlimited license to the product. Once I tried it, I attempted to write a more balanced review — both its potential and where more room for improvements can be done, because, like any new product, it has its own limitations.

Unfortunately, the HotScripts "so called review" space allow only for a few short lines, not even enough to enumerate the good features of the product, let alone the features that would need further improvements. If I recall correctly, I decided not to write the cryptic review nor rate teh product.

It would be unfair to potential users, especially because it is not free. I take this seriously because I am also a consumer. I am quite disappointed when a product is so well-rated turned out to be less that what it was made to appear.

Similar personal experiences and the issues raised in the Magento site review and this thread are the reasons why I am more skeptical of internet reviews in sites like Amazon, webhosting services and most internet sites. I really have to have known the reviewer for quite a bit before I would trust the review. Reviews in Amazon have been known to be biased, and sometimes authors asked their friends and family members to give a good review. Of course, the reverse is also happens.

As far as I am concerned, this is not just about losing money when we felt we have been misled because of misrepresentations in reviews.
The greater loss is that we begin to doubt others and trust people less. That loss is both personal but also has great societal impact.

Cornelio

What matters however is that in business, even simple details — errors in spelling, grammar, etc. — do make a difference. This is especially true because there are softwares for spell checkers. Moreover, it might be an added expense, but a company must be willing to hire someone, on contractual basis, to ensure that the manual and software conform to the what is acceptable by the target audience.

While, for the most part, I agree with you . . . the one thing I would say to this is that craigm’s "criticism" about spelling errors in a TEMPLATE are pretty petty and uninsightful to the fact that the user has the absolute ability to CHANGE THE TEXT in a template as he/she pleases.

The one element / issue I am CONSTANTLY seeing people ignore here is that JA makes/offers TEMPLATES -- not ready-to-go / turnkey websites. Users are MEANT TO modify / customize the base template to make it their and/or their client’s own -- including the example text/spellings. (I very much doubt that craigm intends to keep "Lorem Ipsum" language in his actual website)

. . . . JoomlArt is now the first + only Magento template club for Magento and we have the potential to become a big player

You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in this respect, Hung -- which is also why you should also read carefully some of the "suggestions" and constructive comments from many of the longstanding members here with regard to future templates, pricing structures, etc.

I have been watching Magento for quite a while now -- and the one thing that I have consistently noticed since the few third-party theme creators came to fruition is that they charge an arm and a leg for their products. Now, I understand full well the rules of supply-and-demand . . . but if you want to attract a lot more potential Magento theme-seeking customers, I strongly believe you need to do three things . . .

1. Hire some "Magento ONLY" developers/designers to concentrate on the JM Magento themes.

2. Don’t necessarily only focus on conversion of existing JA templates to JM templates. There’s lots of room for exciting / contemporary store design. check out some of the very cool Magento based stores here --> http://www.magentocommerce.com/blog/…ento-spotting/, as well as some of the best ecommerce designs out there http://cartcraze.com/

3. Price JM Magento themes competitively and attractively so as to attract/covert more customers. Again, understanding supply+demand . . . the pricing for a single template is detrimentally high -- catering to only the more "well off" clientele as opposed to the "future ecommerce successful" who are trying to get things started.

Just my two cents worth

ShannonN, true the demo site is down, but any true JA member should’ve taken a look at the new template prior to the host messing about. Thus atleast, we should be able to give a good review!

Yes, the members of Magento cannot give a proper review due to the poor screenshot and the site being down, but atleast JA members can give an honest review

And yes, please chase up the host -- this really is unprofessional!

Hi hanifahmed
What you say may be true if you are a Magento fan or plan to use it, I am not at this time, that’s why it was curiosity after seeing the posts etc That led me to want to look at the demo, The current forum problems with hosting are making difficulties for all JA and JM members alike

WE now seem to be experiencing passwords needed to get into areas developers should normally go. JA has serious problems and sadly it’s affecting this new venture which BTW I do hope works.
Shannon

To present a different perspective to this discussion, if I were a perfectionist, I would be more worried, if what I create is well-liked by everyone. Thus, if we create, all we can control is our own — be true to our ideals and goals. We must strive to do our best, to be true to our own sense of beauty and concept of elegance.

It is not always the case, as pointed below, but you have done a great job, if you get extremes of views. In the real world, this means that a perfect 5.0 (in the scoring used) would not be something to be proud of. We must realize that any design most probably would be liked by one individual but not by another. This was apparent for example with the Teline II. Many of us who understood what Teline II could do, loved it; but others who do not realize it potential considered it boring layout. Teline II will not serve everyone’s purpose.

Some could be very passionate of their views, like those who like Apple products, and those who hate the same products, simply because it is from Apple. Some go to the extent of being so vocal about them. I am concerned when some people would hate other people, calling them names and worse, simply because they love Apple, or vice versa.

These differences in perceptions are about our different sense of aesthetic, values and goals. However, if the allegation of Hung in the first post turned out to be true, then it is a different matter altogether:

It is despicable and unethical for such a person to do so. It is a mark of a person who is not too familiar with the word, integrity. Potential conflict of interest is the reason why witnesses are cross-examined before they sit as a member of a jury panel, the same is true of judges. In scientific journals and reputable publications, authors are required to sign "conflict of interest" disclosures. Similar rules apply in many other endeavors and forms of transactions.

This "conflict of interest" principle is a double-edeged sword. Just as one must not malign others, if there is a conflict of interest, one must also recuse from taking action that could benefit one’s self without a similar disclosure. This means that neither Hung (nor staff of Joomlart) nor those who own businesses that may be construed to be potential competitors of Joomlart must vote to rate teh product.

From a more personal experience, one of the developers of a Links Directory from one of the former USSR countries, once sent me an exclusive T-shirt, via a courier, all the way from his country. A few of us did work sharing ideas to improve the software. I thought he was just grateful, that I was one of those early users of their "free product" and then encouraged the start up company to create a commercial and more powerful version. Then, a few days later — after I confirmed that I received the package, and thanked him by email — I got a request from him if I could write a review for Hotscripts. I did not decline actually because I really liked it. However, I told him that I will write the review when I had a chance to install and try the finished product. He never wrote to me again, I assume because he wanted the review before the stable commercial product is released.

Nonetheless, I have a lifetime unlimited license to the product. Once I tried it, I attempted to write a more balanced review — both its potential and where more room for improvements can be done, because, like any new product, it has its own limitations.

Unfortunately, the HotScripts "so called review" space allow only for a few short lines, not even enough to enumerate the good features of the product, let alone the features that would need further improvements. If I recall correctly, I decided not to write the cryptic review nor rate teh product.

It would be unfair to potential users, especially because it is not free. I take this seriously because I am also a consumer. I am quite disappointed when a product is so well-rated turned out to be less that what it was made to appear.

Similar personal experiences and the issues raised in the Magento site review and this thread are the reasons why I am more skeptical of internet reviews in sites like Amazon, webhosting services and most internet sites. I really have to have known the reviewer for quite a bit before I would trust the review. Reviews in Amazon have been known to be biased, and sometimes authors asked their friends and family members to give a good review. Of course, the reverse is also happens.

As far as I am concerned, this is not just about losing money when we felt we have been misled because of misrepresentations in reviews.
The greater loss is that we begin to doubt others and trust people less. That loss is both personal but also has great societal impact.

Cornelio

So after all that you merely mean to say, Don’t trust or place a great deal of faith in any review, I can relate to that exp. when you have sites with ‘testimonials and thumbnail pics of the ppl, supposedly, if the testimony has no contact dtls or website I don’t even read them
ShannonN

How professional does this look demo site down for at least 36 hrs then this and you are asking ppl to preview the latest and greatest from JA? Perhaps you need to monitor the host closely

Invalid attribute requested: special_price
Trace:
#0 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Entity/Collection/Abstract.php(336): Mage::exception(‘Mage_Eav’, ‘Invalid attribu…’)
#1 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Eav/Mysql4/Product/Collection.php(97): Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Collection_Abstract->addAttributeToSelect(‘special_price’, false)
#2 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Entity/Collection/Abstract.php(316): Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Col lection->addAttributeToSelect(‘special_price’, false)
#3 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Eav/Mysql4/Product/Collection.php(97): Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Collection_Abstract->addAttributeToSelect(Array, false)
#4 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php(111): Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Col lection->addAttributeToSelect(Array)
#5 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php(96): Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer->prepareProductCollection(Object(Mage_Catalog_Mode l_Resource_Eav_Mysql4_Product_Collection))
#6 /home/mthemes/public_html/jm_mesolite/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Block/Product/List.php(75):

Etc

This is to confirm that the demo site is not down for 36 hours as stated. I did make regular check on the host every hours for the last 2 days (except when I was sleeping).

I have talked with the host company and from the server log, there had been up to 2 hours time of high traffic time which may had cause the "time out" issue.

Also, the above quoted error is while we was updating the demo site with new features for listed extensions in 1st post

This is to confirm that the demo site is not down for 36 hours as stated. I did make regular check on the host every hours for the last 2 days (except when I was sleeping).

I have talked with the host company and from the server log, there had been up to 2 hours time of high traffic time which may had cause the "time out" issue.

Also, the above quoted error is while we was updating the demo site with new features for listed extensions in 1st post

Thank you for the info Hung, while for me it was approx 36 hrs, I’m glad for others it wasn’t. Hhowever if your host breaks with only 2 hrs of high traffic what can you hope for if JM Mesolite is the success you and we all hope it to be?

The servers will not cope with the extra load and the Magento forums and possibly the JA forums may crash as a result, should the JM Mesolite Demo site etc be assessable at all during upgrades, and while we have you around any response on the continued need for password access to dev members forums etc members are currently experiencing?

we appreciate your time responding to these forum and site access questions
ShannonN

I have talked with the host company and from the server log, there had been up to 2 hours time of high traffic time which may had cause the "time out" issue.

On Sunday every time that I tried to connect to the Demo site I was unable. This was over a much longer period than 2 hours. More like 4 or 5 (at least). Your host is not giving you accurate information.

If your host can’t cope with the volume of traffic then it’s time for JA to upgrade.

1. Hire some "Magento ONLY" developers/designers to concentrate on the JM Magento themes.

2. Don’t necessarily only focus on conversion of existing JA templates to JM templates. There’s lots of room for exciting / contemporary store design. check out some of the very cool Magento based stores here --> http://www.magentocommerce.com/blog/…ento-spotting/, as well as some of the best ecommerce designs out there http://cartcraze.com/

3. Price JM Magento themes competitively and attractively so as to attract/covert more customers. Again, understanding supply+demand . . . the pricing for a single template is detrimentally high -- catering to only the more "well off" clientele as opposed to the "future ecommerce successful" who are trying to get things started.

Hi tcraw

I agree with your above three points.

Initially, it would be a good idea to just convert existing templates as it get’s the creative juices flowing. By testing out the system with what you already have available will keep you in touch with what you can and cannot do with the new system! Although this can be done with a new system, it’s easier to do one with all the graphics already created and less thought is needed to put into it.

To really bring in the Magento users, you need to offer something that is different to what you already selling -- a Unique Selling Point (UPV). You don’t want it to be much better than that you are offering at JA, as the JA users will end up wanting a version of that for themselves to use on JA (I certainly would!! lol)

Don’t just offer pretty pictures and designs, but the functionality too! Use some Magento Jargon, make it sound bigger than it really is!! It’s one more reason to take a peek at the demo

Also, you may be the only Magneto Theme Club in the market, but the prices you have to offer should not only reflect supply and demand but the elasticity of the demand too!
Just because your the only one in the market dosnt mean you should be demanding $1,000 for just one template (not that you are or ever will…)! No one will buy it that way!

Look at the market forces in play, see where the demand lies, target them, entice them (with special offers if need be) and watch the bank balance sky rocket!!

I also like Ja mesolite and I belive it has a potential
But with templates it’s always like a subjective opinions and you never know why negative opinion is made for. May be just jealousy.
good luck and keep working well

Also, you may be the only Magneto Theme Club in the market, but the prices you have to offer should not only reflect supply and demand but the elasticity of the demand too!
Just because your the only one in the market dosnt mean you should be demanding $1,000 for just one template (not that you are or ever will…)! No one will buy it that way!

They might be the only "club," per se . . . but there are actually several other Magento Theme developers out there with themes to offer. Not going to name or link them, but they’re out there.

You know what would make me REALLY happy -- is if JM could figure out a way to make the Magento + sample data installation process a ONE STEP process rather than the jacked-up "install the sample data first" process that (more times than not) results in MySQL errors.

I have come to the defense of Joomlart when I thought it was unfairly maligned but I am getting the impression that Joomlart may not want any negative comments at all, even if they were meant as constructive criticisms.

The JM Mesolite was down immediately after the negative comments in the Magento site, and I can confirm that it was down for much much longer than two hours, as indicated by other members.

Anyway, when it was up again. I did a more thorough investigation of the touted features. So, anyway, I clicked on almost all the features:

Add to cart
Price Comparison
Newsletter
News and blogs links
Multilanguage feature
and others that you think would be clicked by interested online buyer.

I encourage everyone to do the same and please share your observations. Do they work? Are all the features there to complete an online transaction?

From the point of view of webdesign, is it compatible with versions of major browsers, not just Internet Explorer?

You know what would make me REALLY happy -- is if JM could figure out a way to make the Magento + sample data installation process a ONE STEP process rather than the jacked-up "install the sample data first" process that (more times than not) results in MySQL errors.

Maybe one could use the installation services offered by numerous parties when it is not possible. They may tell one that the server config needs some adjustments before the installation.

Otherwise, have you tried it once, to simply create one system with the new theme and sample content loaded and working fine —> Download it to a folder on your computer plus a dump of the MySQL —-> Zip both and zip it again —> Unzip it again, load the content to a new location and import the MySQL Dump to a new DB —-> Does this work?

When it works, tell JA to offer this or how can users get rid off the install sample data step before the installation of the system core when even this would result in that people would have to make changes again before it could work and could be stuck there too?

Hi, i’m here just to write a small comment. i think ja_mesolite is one of the best commercial templates for Virtuemart(/Joomla), its a very clear shopsystem, the design is absolutely "open", but also usable without big edits, you can change the templates graphic and so "individualize" it. Many big thanks for this realy cool template by JA ))