So everyone's still buzzing about this whole "free iMac" thing, which doesn't sound like all that bad of a deal: $718.20 for a new iMac plus three years or Internet service is pretty nifty. Of course, you also have to agree to accept a slew of advertising, which makes the deal a bit less sweet-- we're already exposed to more ads than we know what to do with. But dozens of viewers have written in pointing out that, while the "free" iMac comes with various strings attached, cutting those strings doesn't sound all that tough.

Let's look at what you need to do to get a free iMac, based on the plan FreeMac's been announcing... First, you have to qualify for FreeMac's credit card. (The implication is that you also have to get said credit card, though that's not explicitly stated in the press release.) Then you have to agree to pay $19.95 for Earthlink Internet access for a period of three years. And finally, you have to agree to what will presumably constitute an aggressive long-term advertising campaign that, just possibly, will never expire-- just like spam, only this time you'd be asking for it. So what's to stop someone from cutting up the credit card, reformatting the iMac's hard drive to wipe out the 2 GB of pre-loaded ads, and simply using another ISP? Just because you pay for Earthlink access doesn't mean you have to use it. Let 'em fill up your Earthlink mailbox with spam; if you never use the account, it won't affect you a bit.

Think about it: if you don't use the access, that $19.95 monthly Earthlink fee could actually be considered a three-year, no-interest payment plan on a $718.20 iMac-- with no sales tax, to boot. You won't find a better deal on a new iMac anywhere. Now, it's important to note that FreeMac's program hasn't started yet, and the actual terms of the deal haven't been set in stone yet. While it's possible that it just never occurred to the folks over at FreeMac that it's not hard to reformat an iMac's hard drive and simply never use the three years of Internet service, we find it hard to believe that they'd overlook such an obvious loophole. (If they did overlook it, they've got bigger problems to solve.) For instance, who's to say that when the final terms of the deal appear, they don't include stuff about "required monthly web site visits" or even "postal and telephone marketing"? And if they pull something really restrictive like that, how many people do you think will actually sign up? It's clear to us that Apple's wise to steer very clear of the whole "free computer" fad. We won't know exactly what FreeMac's going to require until next month, but one thing we know for sure is that nothing's free. At least, iMacs sure aren't.

Anyone who seriously thinks gender roles have been erased and kids are free to be anything they want doesn't spend much time in toy stores. Oh, sure, maybe things have improved a little, but the Barbie aisle is still a blinding wall of pink while the action figure aisle features a slew of pro wrestlers and comic book superheroes, heavily armed and ready to kick the Dread Butt of Evil. Show me someone who can walk through a Toys 'R' Us and say that the majority of toys aren't rigidly marketed to one gender or the other and we'll show you someone who's either blind, clueless, or lying.

So is it any surprise that when Mattel builds personal computers for children, they produce a Barbie model and a Hot Wheels one? Check it out-- the base units are the same, but the Barbie model is silver with pink flowers, while the Hot Wheels one is blue and yellow, complete with flame detailing. And while the Barbie system comes preloaded with stuff like fashion designer software and a "learn to type" application, the Hot Wheels one includes "Hot Wheels Custom Car Designer." Also, in the photo, it also looks as though the Hot Wheels system comes with a larger, "manlier" monitor-- though that could just be an illusion. Still, as Salon's Janelle Brown notes, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out which of these computers is for boys and which is for girls. Personally, we prefer a nice, gender-neutral iMac (well, okay, Strawberry's a bit "Hello Kitty," but you can buy Lime instead) that will encourage kids to do whatever their hearts desire, without pressuring them about what's expected of them based on the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.

All gender issues aside, though, isn't it interesting that Mattel's decidedly consumer-targeted computers feature lots of curves, bright colors, and a handle? They also apparently lack "legacy" ports and slots in favor of USB. Sound familiar? The new systems aren't exactly up to the iMac's level of tight integration and sleek design, but we have to admit-- the Hot Wheels computer is definitely one of the coolest looking Wintel systems we've ever seen, even though the Compaqesque bulges at the rear of the system mar the overall effect. Still, if we had to use a PC, big yellow flames on the side would make the ordeal less painful.

Just a quickie, here, to mention something potentially big looming on the Apple horizon. We've all finally seen the iBook, and Apple's working hard to get them out the door. Work on the next-generation iMac is apparently progressing nicely. The Power Mac G4, with its new Sawtooth motherboard, has been in the works for a while now, and we might see it by the end of this month, though availability will depend on when Motorola can supply the processors in volume. So there's a lot of neat stuff coming out in the near future, but what's in store further down the road?

We're just wondering, because we've been hearing rumors that no less a bigwig than Steve Jobs himself is hand-selecting people for a new, secret project. Reportedly no one but those in the group themselves know what this project is or what it entails-- and the blessed few admitted into the inner circle aren't talking. We haven't a clue what this project is, but the possibilities are wide open. If you've been entertaining fantasies about Apple getting into computing appliances, or a next-generation handheld computer, or a line of Apple-branded hard candies, or even an elite strike force of merciless hit men trained with the single goal in mind of whacking Michael Dell, well, here's a rumor upon which to hang your pet theory.

Whatever it is this secret group is working on, given that its development is just starting up, we mere mortals probably won't get to see it for at least a year. Just think! A full year of frenzied speculation with zero boundaries. Isn't daydreaming fun?