You know, we've spent so much time recently talking about the possible speeds and technological advances likely to surface in Apple's next Power Macs, we figured it would make a nice change of pace to check in on a real innovator for a change. (No, Mike Dell, we're not talking about you. Sheesh.) Forget about superslim titanium enclosures, wireless networking, and slot-loading CD-RW drives; if you want some seriously groundbreaking stuff, look no further than premium-priced jumper blocks, computers that (if they actually existed) look like oversized microphones, and breakthroughs in trademarking sets of initials like ACS™ and SSD™. In short, our old buddies at Xtrem are your guys. Faithful viewer Ryan Redekopp reminded us that it's been a while since we've checked in with Xtrem, and with innovators like that, you just know they're cranking out a zillion fabulous new technologies with each passing week.

Basically there are two mammoth new developments that bear mentioning. The first actually surfaced many moons ago, and we were all stoked to tell you about it-- but then we started playing with our car keys and, well, that was the end of that. Anyway, better late than never. Xtrem is working on the "ultimate display for professionals," a veritable leviathan whose 24-inch diagonal measurements makes the Apple Cinema Display look positively chintzy with its dwarfen 22-inch proportions. Even better, this is a 24-inch CRT-- none of that wimpy LCD stuff for Xtrem-- so it has its own palpable gravitational pull, which is especially handy for storage purposes; when you run out of space on your desk (and with a CRT that big, trust us-- you will), you can just place small items like pens, paper clips, and even soft drink cans into orbit around your big honkin' monitor with a minimum of fuss. Of course, the Xtrem Display™ (as it's so cleverly called) features the company's patented "NoPhotosJust3DModels™" and "NeverShip™" technologies, and boasts a stunning space-wasting enclosure which we strongly suspect was modeled after the side mirror from an indeterminate '50s-era automobile.

The other big advancement comes with the system that put Xtrem on the map in the first place: its superfast G4 system called the XtremMac. Or, rather, it used to be called the XtremMac, for you see, Xtrem has done it again: back in February the company tweaked the system's already ultra-impressive list of features by reducing its clock speed by eleven percent, but this time, the change is even more dramatic-- the XtremMac is now known as the XtremMc™. Truly this breakthrough in antilitigational nomenclature is one for the history books. Sure, they could have wussed out and gone with "XtremMic," which would have been appropriate, given the fictional enclosure's shape, but instead those brave souls said "Pronouncability be damned!" and dared to think differently. You have to respect that.

Of course, some people are sure to wonder whether the removal of yet another crucial vowel from the product's name is going to make much of a difference; when Apple was stuck at 500 MHz and Xtrem first burst onto the scene in August of last year flapping its gums about a single-processor G4 running at 1200 MHz, folks got excited. Now the company's talking about 1066 MHz instead, while Apple is shipping 867 MHz machines-- and the XtremMc still isn't shipping. Gee, it's almost enough to make some Doubting Thomases lose their faith...