We still can't help but smile when we remember all those naysayers who predicted that the iMac wouldn't influence Wintel PC design at all. Hasn't everyone learned by now that whenever Apple does anything new which is even mildly successful, it's only a matter of time before the copycats start showing up? First there were translucent colored panels and enclosures for standard desktop and tower PCs. Then there were all kinds of wacky computer shapes announced-- Aztec pyramids, flowers, fish, bunnies, etc. And then came the first direct rip-off: the Future Power ePower. This thing was such a blatant copy of the iMac's distinctive design, Apple really had no choice but to sue. (We notice the photos of the ePower on Future Power's site have since been changed to look less obviously like the iMac-- amazing what a little litigation can do.)

Interestingly enough, Apple's lawsuit against Future Power hasn't prevented other PC manufacturers from releasing their own iMac rip-offs-- it's merely made them a little more careful about the way in which they go about it. Apparently eMachines, Inc. felt that Future Power's big mistake was announcing the ePower at a big computer show, months before the machine would be ready to ship. That gave Apple plenty of time to file suit before consumers could get their hands on the iMac wannabes. So eMachines went a different route: they released their eOne iMac rip-off quietly to Circuit City, whose Sunday circular plasters the eOne's image all over the place-- and it's featured prominently on their home page, too. Trying to sneak in under Apple's legal radar; neat trick. And isn't it fitting that Circuit City is the retailer exclusively selling the eOne right now, given the way that Apple dropped them from the national reseller list a couple of years back for doing such a poor job of displaying Macs?

Arguably, the eOne isn't quite as egregiously an iMac copy as the ePower is; it depends which photo of the unit you're looking at. But it's close enough that Apple may be forced to file another suit-- if they don't, we imagine Future Power could use Apple's tacit approval of eMachines' actions as an argument in court. Sounds like Apple's legal team is going to be busy, busy, busy for a long time to come. Bring it on... we could use a little more courtroom drama around here.