Over the last couple of years, there have been a lot of changes in the Apple world, to be sure. For one thing, what was once a raging torrent of red ink the likes of which were not previously witnessed since those elevator doors opened in Stanley Kubrick's cinematic interpretation of Stephen King's The Shining has since transformed almost magically into a steady stream of black ink. Then there's the fact that Apple was nary a blip on the consumer retail landscape, whereas these days the iMac continues to sell well, particularly to households who have never owned a computer before. And the advertising scene has changed pretty drastically, too-- these days, you actually see Apple ads in places other than Mac-specific magazines. See? There are all kinds of big differences.

Of course, some things never change. Take, for example, the way the PC world comes out with a new "innovation" and grabs all the credit-- about three years after Apple had already "been there, done that," but Apple gets nary a footnote in the mainstream press. The particular instance that's got us thinking about this phenomenon is detailed in a CNET article about Gateway's new "all-in-one" computer design. In Japan, Gateway is selling a PC that integrates the computer's motherboard, hard drive, and other components into a single enclosure that also houses the display. Sound familiar? Sure, it's reminiscent of the iMac, and even of the original 1984 "toaster-style" Macintosh, but the Gateway unit differs from those all-in-one designs in that it uses an active-matrix flat-panel display like those used in laptop computers. The result is a very flat, space-efficient design that's expected to go over big in Japan. It's new and exciting!

So, uh, can anyone say Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh? As in, released by Apple in 1997? The TAM, also known by its code name of "Spartacus," beat Gateway to the punch by integrating a vertically-oriented motherboard and an LCD flat-panel display into a single unit. It's also about a gazillion times more beautiful than Gateway's rather uninteresting and pedestrian interpretation. In addition, other innovations in the Spartacus included a breakthrough Bose sound system (which apparently integrated a subwoofer with the unit's power supply), a special way to allow a single PCI card to be installed even in the system's superthin design via the use of a separate "backpack" rear cover, and-- perhaps most distinctively-- a ridiculously high price tag. The Spartacus debuted at a jaw-dropping $9000. Somehow we doubt that PC manufacturers will be ripping off that particular Apple innovation anytime soon...