Okay, now this just makes us mad. It's one thing for Dell to mimic Apple's every move-- colored WebPCs like iMacs, colored laptops like iBooks, ad infinitum-- but it's another thing when the press treats Dell's copycat moves as innovation. For example, do you remember what Dell did right after Apple made a huge media splash with the announcement of its AirPort wireless networking technology? Suddenly Dell introduced a wireless networking option on its business laptops; customers could buy a system complete with one of those 802.11 PCMCIA cards. It wasn't the best solution, obviously, since those things need an antenna, so there's an unsightly bulk hanging off the side of the laptop when the card is installed, but at least it was something, and it got CNET talking about Dell as "the first leading PC manufacturer to offer wireless networking with business notebooks."

Technically that was correct, since the iBook isn't a "business" notebook, though we still consider it an Apple slight. But now CNET's gone way over the line, gushing over Dell's new plan to "stay ahead of its rivals... one year after bringing wireless technology to PC notebooks." See, apparently in September Dell's going to ship a line of laptops with "fully integrated wireless networking and internal antennas." Reportedly "these upcoming notebooks will come wireless-ready from the factory. Oooooooh. That sure doesn't sound like anything Apple's had going for the better part of a year already, does it? Heck, at this point, every single product in Apple's line of Macs has an internal AirPort antenna and can be ordered from the Apple Store with a $99 AirPort card pre-installed. (We even called 1-800-MY-APPLE to confirm this fact, and a very nice woman named Linda indeed stated that if you order a PowerBook with an AirPort card, it will be installed and ready when you pull the system out of the box.) Yet CNET makes a big thing about how "Apple Computer already offers internal antennas on its PowerBooks and iBooks, but Dell will also integrate the other major part, the wireless LAN component, inside the box. Apple's LAN card comes separately." Grrrrrr...

Infuriatingly, the author goes on to state that "the move increases the pressure on Apple," despite the fact that Apple's been there, done that, read the book, and seen the made-for-TV movie. And if you really want to hurl, check out the part about how this move "signals a dramatic shift in how Dell conducts its business": "The PC manufacturer is known more as an imitator than as an innovator... but things may be changing for Dell." Well, we'll say this much: Dell has certainly innovated in the field of just how blatantly a company can rip off Apple and still get the press credit for being inventive. Sometimes you just can't win.