Remember when the iMac first came out? It didn't take very long before the Bondi Blue wonder was making guest appearances on TV shows, in commercials, in comic strips-- pretty much anywhere you looked, really. It didn't hurt that Apple was running its own iMac commercials during prime time and plastering translucent space-egg contours all over billboards, buses, magazines, etc. A year later, we bet that the iMac has a recognition factor among "average shmoes" on par with the new Volkswagen Beetle. Face it: the iMac is a star.

And Apple's betting that the iBook will be a protege worthy of its fruit-flavored lineage, just as good at stealing the spotlight and being the center of attention. So far, the iBook's off to a nice start; its decidedly "out there" look has been the subject of countless editorials in just the last two weeks, with arguments about its bold colors and smooth curves cutting both ways. And that's good-- possibly better than if everyone loved the iBook. Controversy is the smoke that proves the fire of attention... and attention sells. Love it or hate it, the iBook may well be the next computer that everybody will recognize. Gotta love that mind share, right?

So the iBook, which won't even ship for another couple of months, is already snagging cameos and guest appearances. According to an Apple Hot News page, Bloomingdale's managed to score a pair of pre-production iBooks to use in its "Back To Cool" window display-- complete with blue- and orange-haired mannequins. Michael Fisher, the creative director at Bloomie's, decided to cast the iBook for his window display as soon as he realized "what a cool accessory you'd have to go back to school with." Of course, it's a bit unfortunate that people won't actually be able to buy an iBook in time for the start of the school year, but hey, nothing's perfect, right?