It's like something out of an inspirational children's story, isn't it? "The Little iMac That Could." Ever since its unveiling way back in early May, the iMac has captured the eye of the press and reinvigorated interest in a computer company that a great many had written off as irrelevant. There are still plenty of naysayers around, but there's little argument that the iMac has really affected Apple's situation in a huge way. Take, for example, the company's growth; instead of reducing headcount to try to stay afloat, Apple's actually hiring people these days because they simply can't build enough iMacs for everyone who wants to buy them. A Sacramento Business Journal article has more details on Apple's increasing workforce.

Reportedly, Apple's Laguna West manufacturing family is now 200 people larger. Apple hired the additional help to "keep up with record-setting sales of the iMac." This is in addition to those other 400 employees that Apple brought on earlier this year; apparently 400 new hires just wasn't nearly enough when it comes to building iMacs. Not only that, but things are going well enough that Apple has apparently shelved its plans to sell off a vacant building in Laguna where they once made circuit boards. Instead of selling it, rumor has it that Apple now plans to convert it into a customer service call center, where about another hundred new hires will field support calls from Mac users. That stands in sharp contrast to the Apple of two years ago, who was forced to shut down the Laguna plant and lay off 250 employees.

Now, granted, these are factory workers Apple's adding, and not think-tank engineers or software developers who will be working on the Next Big Thing™. And while we'd be ecstatic to hear that Apple's doing well enough to hire 200 engineers to create innovative new products that'll take us all into the next millennium, we'll settle for hearing about more hands being hired to put together today's cutest computer. It's growth, and growth based on demand for product. And with luck, it's only the beginning.