While reminiscing about the heady days of college, your AtAT staff members recall the adrenaline-and-caffeine-drenched thrill of skipping class all semester long, only to spend the last nine days before the final permanently camped out in the 24-hour coffee house, desperately trying to cram three or four months' worth of learning into a week and a half before exam time. (The "exotic" hours at which we commonly broadcast new episodes should indicate that we haven't exactly outgrown our bad habits.) But one rumor making the rounds is noteworthy, precisely because it indicates that Apple's currently in the same kind of panic-stricken catch-up mode as AtAT often is.

See, Reality is reporting the incredible news that Apple has flat-out ceased production of all desktop Power Macs at every single one of its manufacturing plants. And, in fact, while it would be nice if those plants were chugging away at assembling high-end PowerBook G3's to fill the massive backorder, it appears that all production of PowerBooks has also ground to a screeching halt. Assuming those facts are true, it doesn't take a Mr. Peabody to figure out what's going on. Yup, you guessed it-- Apple is dedicating 100% of its manufacturing backbone to cranking out iMacs. As of right now, the little blue munchkins are being assembled as quickly as possible, as Apple gears up for their introduction in two weeks.

Apparently Apple figures it's best to cut their losses on the PowerBook availability fiasco; if they can't meet at least most of the demand for their much-higher-profile iMac when the rabid fans hit the stores in a fortnight, then the press will have a field day and we'll see so many "Apple is run by boneheads" articles flying around that you'd think it's 1997 again. Given all the signs of an impending iMac-buying frenzy, we're increasingly doubtful that many iMac-laden customers will be walking out of CompUSA on August 15th-- unless they happened to walk clutching a pre-order receipt. For those of you who want one of the first units, sell your kids and put down a deposit now, now, now.

We're pretty sure there isn't a single soul tuning in to watch this show who isn't aware at how the rest of the PC industry tends to treat Apple as a free source of excellent research and development. It's no big secret that often when Apple starts using something cool, that feature starts showing up several months later in computers from manufacturers all over the world. Think mouse, GUI, laptop trackpad, etc.

However, this is the first time we recall hearing about a company copying an Apple marketing move. (Heck, until very recently, who on earth would want to?) According to a ZDNet article, however, troubled mega-giant Compaq is planning to set up a store-within-a-store program at Radio Shacks around the country. The Compaq "Learning Centers" will feature that company's low-cost Presario systems, to be demonstrated by specially-trained salesfolk. Any of this ringing any bells?

What would really shake things up is if mega-successful Wintel manufacturers like Compaq and Dell start copying some of Apple's classic stupid business moves. Get enough of those going and the playing field will never be the same again. ;-) In the meantime, if anyone sees a great big stocking ladder blocking access to the Presarios in their local Radio Shack, drop up a line; that would be just too funny a correlation to ignore...

Okay, so the coupon book was undeniably lame. CompUSA offering iMac buyers a $5 discount on a 50-pack of floppy disks probably ranks as one of the most atrocious marketing gaffes in the history of the computer industry. Still, there are signs of real marketing afoot...

Several AtAT viewers have written in to say that they've heard the new CompUSA radio ad that touts the awesome speed and unbeatable industrial design of the iMac. Reports are popping up all over (such as at MacCentral) indicating that the iMac will be featured quite prominently in the Sunday circulars for the next two weekends. (After that, though, all bets are off.) Various banners and posters are also going up, to help raise awareness of Apple's new machine. And on the 15th, the iMac's intro date, CompUSA plans to hold a big hype event, similar to what happened when Windows 98 was finally released a month or so ago.

If you're an AtAT viewer who's actually a frustrated TV actor trapped in the body of a Mac geek, you may want to be at your local CompUSA on the day of the big launch. Given how much press the iMac's gotten over the last two and a half months since the revelation of the system, it's a pretty safe bet that at least a few camera crews from the local news shows will turn up to grab some footage. Now's your chance to plan your attention-stealing media hijacking. When you force your way on camera, remember: always smile, and don't reveal your bare rump to thousands of viewers unless: 1) it's absolutely necessary in order to save a human life; 2) the situation dictates that it's an artistically valid means of self-expression; or 3) you really, really want to. Words to live by, kiddies.