What's with all the goofy rumors about iMac case variations lately? We remember the good old days when a "wild rumor" about the iMac is that Apple was considering making them in several different colors. Is it because such a reality has come to pass that people are engaging in still wilder speculation about Apple's plans for next season's "iMac look?" Take, for example, Apple Insider's "Future Apple Hardware" report, which claims that not only will this summer's new iMac come in new colors, but it may also be available in "special effects resins," such as "Sparkle," "Pearlescent," "Stone Metallic," and "Glow." It's not beyond the realm of the possible, sure, but it's a stretch.

Then we get into the really unlikely stuff in Mac OS Rumors' "Wacko File." According to one of their sources, Apple is working on a "Chameleon iMac," which will automatically change its color based on its surrounding, blending in perfectly with any environment. While that might be a nice dream for Mac-savvy interior decorators-- those fruit flavors don't match many people's decor, we imagine-- the technology required for such a product would necessitate an iMac sticker price in the neighborhood of several hundred thousand dollars and the U.S. military would buy them all up anyway and stick them in a warehouse with the Lost Ark of the Covenant and Scully's harvested ova. Really. At this rate, before you know it we'll be hearing about hot pink faux-fur iMacs that levitate two inches off the desk and emit a fresh pine scent at appropriate intervals.

Don't get us wrong-- we think at least some of these ideas are very cool (mmmm... pine-fresh scent...), but we just don't see how Apple could possibly produce and sell so many iMac variations without raising the price or drowning in inventory. Which is why, as cool as chameleon iMacs and sparkle-cases might be, we're still pushing for the Mood iMac. It's a simple, elegant concept, it's probably relatively easy to implement, and it's only one more variation for Apple to market-- plus it appeals to that whole 70's-retro crowd, as well as the geeks who just want a kick-ass computer that changes color. We're still keeping our fingers crossed.