Gateway's new iMac ripoff

Comments

• Reply 1 of 24

  flashgordon Posts: 284member

  August 5, 2002 7:15PM

  Putting my Mac love aside...I think Mac should sue, they have a shit load of money invested in the R&D for the iMac and if people are allowed to coma along and rip off other's ideas it will cause a quick drop in innovation. What is the point of spending a lot of money coming up with a product if another company can just use the idea after investing nothing. That is the reason they can sell it for $1000, they have no R&D to make back...Apple did it all for them.
  
  
  
  How many new Cancer drugs do you think Merck would make if another company could just go buy a bottle of the crap when it came out, copy the ingredients, and sell it themselves for much less. The prices are high because of the research and development, it is very expensive, but not for the people ripping off the idea.
  
  
  
  People with helpful and desirable ideas sould be able to benefit from them without vultures stealing their rewards.
• Reply 2 of 24

  nebagakid Posts: 2,692member

  August 5, 2002 7:16PM

  that would be awesome if Apple sued, they would win! <img src="graemlins/surprised.gif" border="0" alt="[Surprised]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
• Reply 3 of 24

  jet powers Posts: 288member

  August 5, 2002 7:28PM

  [quote]Originally posted by FlashGordon:
  
  <strong>Putting my Mac love aside...I think Mac should sue, they have a shit load of money invested in the R&D for the iMac and if people are allowed to coma along and rip off other's ideas it will cause a quick drop in innovation. What is the point of spending a lot of money coming up with a product if another company can just use the idea after investing nothing. That is the reason they can sell it for $1000, they have no R&D to make back...Apple did it all for them.
  
  
  
  How many new Cancer drugs do you think Merck would make if another company could just go buy a bottle of the crap when it came out, copy the ingredients, and sell it themselves for much less. The prices are high because of the research and development, it is very expensive, but not for the people ripping off the idea.
  
  
  
  People with helpful and desirable ideas sould be able to benefit from them without vultures stealing their rewards.</strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  
  
  Dude, design is totally NOT copyrightable.
  
  
  
  What if Chrysler got sued by Ford for using four wheels?
  
  
  
  What if Microsoft got sued for stealing the 'look' of MacOS?
  
  
  
  The fact that eMachines stopped had nothing to do with the legality of the ePC (or whatever they called it); it had everything to do with whther they thought they could fight Apple in court.
  
  
  
  Gateway can and will (if neccessary; I doubt Apple will sue) defend themselves.
  
  
  
  FWIW, good design is rare; I guarantee that the Profile 4 will suck precisely because it is a knock-off.
  
  
  
  Just like the eMac.
  
  
  
  Jet
  
  
  
  [ 08-05-2002: Message edited by: Jet Powers ]</p>
• Reply 4 of 24

  ari Posts: 126member

  August 5, 2002 7:33PM

  I think perhaps we should wait and see the Profile 4 before we make the decision that Apple should sue based solely on a newspaper article written by someone who has not seen the computer. For all we know, it may bear a closer resemblance to the current Profile or what the flat-panel iMac was going to be before they switched over the "iLamp" design. Is it beyond Waitts and his talking cow to blatantly copy the iMac? No. But let's not execute them quite yet.
• Reply 5 of 24

  blabla Posts: 185member

  August 5, 2002 7:45PM

  Apple was not the first to ship a LCD-AIO computer, at least if you ignore the lame 20th Anniversary mac.
  
  
  
  I really doubt Gateway would design an iLamp..
  
  And just because Apple just recently began selling LCD-imacs, doesnt mean they could sue other computermakers for also selling LCD computers. After all, Gateway had LCD-AIO before the new iMac.
  
  
  
  <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1040-247809.html"; target="_blank">http://news.com.com/2100-1040-247809.html</a>;
  
  
  
  And the new gateway model doesnt need to be a direct rip off, just because some journalist choose to use that word.
  
  
• Reply 6 of 24

  can_crusher_bill Posts: 1member

  August 5, 2002 7:55PM

  Well, I've never posted on AI before, but since I've seen this thing in a private showing at our university a few weeks ago... I thought I'd share. (Well, I think this is the same model...it was an AIO unit that isn't shipping yet).
  
  
  
  The guts are on the back of the LCD, it's not very manueverable at all like the iMac. It is kinda cool how much crap it has (PC Card, 6 USB 2, Firewire, etc). It sits on a funky stand that is removeable (you can mount it on on a table so that it doesn't even sit on the table, giving you ample room on your desk). The LCD was remarkably bright (better than the 15" LCD iMacs I've seen so far). But it was preproduction, so maybe the finished one won't be as impressive. All black...
  
  
  
  The Celeron model must be a joke...the one we had was using a P4 and seemed OK with XP.
  
  
  
  Oh yeah, floppy drive mounted on the front. Only expansion is USB/Firewire and a laptop style PC Card slot on back.
  
  
  
  All in all, I thought it looked pretty good for a PC but historically these AIO's do pretty poorly in Windows land b/c people really need those empty PCI slots sitting there.... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
• Reply 7 of 24

  patchouli Posts: 402member

  August 5, 2002 8:53PM

  Sorry, but Apple does not own the all-in-one computer idea. Not all-in-one computers = iMac. If it doesn't look like the iMac, they have no case. Also, the new Celeron processors are built on the P4 core - they are not shit for the $$$. You wouldn't notice the difference in performance unless you played with it for a while with VERY demanding apps. I think it's funny when people who don't know better think that XP Home and Celeron chips are noticeably inferior to P4 and XP Pro (to the average user who would by an affordable machine.)
  
  
  
  [ 08-05-2002: Message edited by: Patchouli ]</p>
• Reply 8 of 24

  buonrotto Posts: 6,368member

  August 5, 2002 9:07PM

  [quote]Originally posted by Jet Powers:
  
  <strong>Dude, design is totally NOT copyrightable.
  
  </strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  Off topic:
  
  
  
  Slight correction: design is copyrightable. Every time I put pencil to paper, the drawing is copyrighted under US law. What can't be copyrighted is an idea. The idea of an all-in-one computer can't be copyrighted. The specific design of the iMac is. As you can imagine, there is a huge gray area in between.
  
  
  
  [ 08-05-2002: Message edited by: BuonRotto ]</p>
• Reply 9 of 24

  brianmacos Posts: 548member

  August 5, 2002 9:32PM

  Gateway has had an all in one PC design for a long time that is nothing new. I know this because that used to be the only desktops I bought.
• Reply 10 of 24

  eugene Posts: 8,254member

  August 5, 2002 11:00PM

  What the heck does the Profile 4 look like? It's not at Gateway.com or anything...
• Reply 11 of 24

  frawgz Posts: 547member

  August 6, 2002 12:27AM

  [quote]Originally posted by Jet Powers:
  
  <strong>Dude, design is totally NOT copyrightable.</strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  Last time eMachines got embroiled in a suit with Apple, a lot of information came to the surface regarding one's ability to defend a unique design. Gucci, for example, had a unique 'G' watch that was copied. They sued, and won.
  
  
  
  [quote]What if Microsoft got sued for stealing the 'look' of MacOS?<hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  They did.
  
  
  
  By the way, I won't be surprised if the Profile 4 looks more like the Profile 3 than like the iMac. The "iMac competition" hype is probably just so they could get the attention they so badly need.
• Reply 12 of 24

  brianmacos Posts: 548member

  August 6, 2002 3:01AM

  [quote]The "iMac competition" hype is probably just so they could get the attention they so badly need.[/QB]<hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  Gateway doesn't really copy any ones style when it comes to commercials. Out of DELL and Compaq I find Gateway to have hte best advertising.
• Reply 13 of 24

  jet powers Posts: 288member

  August 6, 2002 3:02AM

  [quote]Originally posted by frawgz:
  
  <strong>
  
  
  
  They did.
  
  </strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  And Apple got beat like a rented mule in court.
  
  
  
  
  
  That's my point: You can'tcopyright a design idea.
  
  
  
  Thanks for the clarification BuonRotto.
  
  
  
  Jet
• Reply 14 of 24

  frawgz Posts: 547member

  August 6, 2002 3:16AM

  [quote]Originally posted by Jet Powers:
  
  <strong>That's my point: You can'tcopyright a design idea.</strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  If you were entirely correct, then eMachines and Future Power would have buckled long before the injunctions that were issued against them (based on the assertion that they lost because they didn't have the resources to win in court).
  
  
  
  Just for sake of argument..
  
  [quote]Trade dress is protectable as an unregistered trademark and is a subset of trademark law and principles; it is designed to ensure that a product or service's shape, appearance, color, packaging or even sales techniques are not copied by a competing product. In the past, trade dress has been used by an ironing-board maker to prevent competitors from duplicating its distinctive green color and by Ferrari to block the production of "replicars" that mimicked the shape of that company's distinctive cars.
  
  
  
  A company filing a complaint of trade-dress violation must demonstrate two things. First, it must prove that its trade dress is distinctive and linked to the product's source in the mind of consumers. Second, it must show that the competing product, by using the first company's trade dress, will likely confuse customers into thinking that the competing company is affiliated with the first company or that the competing goods are in some way approved by it.<hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  <a href="http://zdnet.com.com/2100-11-519084.html?legacy=zdnn"; target="_blank">http://zdnet.com.com/2100-11-519084.html?legacy=zdnn</a>;
  
  
  
  However, I'm afraid I might be getting ahead of myself here. Like I said, I'd be surprised if the Profile 4 actually looks more like the iMac than the Profile 3.
• Reply 15 of 24

  the cool gut Posts: 1,714member

  August 6, 2002 1:50PM

  [quote]Originally posted by Jet Powers:
  
  <strong>
  
  
  
  And Apple got beat like a rented mule in court.
  
  
  
  
  
  Jet</strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  They lost because of contracts they signed with M$ which compromised their arguement.
  
  
  
  Apple sent M$ back to the drawing board, when XP's Luna, was looking a little too close to Aqua.
  
  
  
  
  
  On another note, someone mentioned how Gateway wasn't as small as eMachines, and could accept a court challenge. Well, Gateway is hurting pretty bad right now, and I'm sure isn't willing to throw millions into a trial.
• Reply 16 of 24

  pixelpusher Posts: 73member

  August 6, 2002 2:02PM

  If it looks something like <a href="http://www.neccomp.com/v2/products/PowerMate/eco/"; target="_blank">this</a> from NEC, Apple shouldn't worry one bit...
• Reply 17 of 24

  evo Posts: 198member

  August 6, 2002 2:22PM

  Does anyone remember the Gateway knock off that came out years ago? It was an all-in-one beige piece of junk, and it was called the "Astra" or something. I remember seeing commercials for it.
• Reply 18 of 24

  aquatic Posts: 5,602member

  August 6, 2002 2:30PM

  [quote] What if Microsoft got sued for stealing the 'look' of MacOS? <hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  They stole more than just the look. Of course Apple stole from Xerox
  
  
  
  Design is not copyrightable my EYE. Now, monopolies like M$ with more money than small countries, can afford to have OJ Simpson like lawyers. *Cough* Windows XP... Ever seen that cartoon where Bill is opening a MacOS 8 box, saying "Excellent, we can start work on Windows 98 now!" Hehe.
  
  
  
  But saying copying Ford by putting 4 wheels on a car is an incorrect analogy. M$ copied more Apple more deeply, but since they're rich Apple has no recourse. Now, *licks lips* Gateway computer... They're dead, first. Dell will crush them like a bug. Apple might be bigger. And I haven't seen the Profile 4 or whatever, but if it resembles an iMac 2 too much then they might lose in court. Yay the beginning of the end for Gateway! And is it just me or do those Gateway Solo laptops flying aroud in space on those dumb commercials look like iBooks with the Gateway logo where the Apple should be? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
  
  
  
  Bye Gateway. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
• Reply 19 of 24

  g4dude Posts: 1,016member

  August 6, 2002 2:47PM

  Nobody even knows what the Profile 4 looks like yet. I think it will ba an AIO just like the previous Profiles and not have a "seperate" LCD screen like the iMac. Going to court over designs is a really weird business and is decisions aren't very consistant with previous ones. It is strange how Apple can sue over the eOne but DaimlerChrysler can't win a lawsuit against Hummer for using a VERY Jeep-looking grille on the H1 and H2. It seems weird how as soon as Gateway announces a Profile 4, it is called an iMac ripoff. Come on, it's not even out yet.
  
  
  
  Wow, that post was a lot of random thoughts not strung together very well: sorry
• Reply 20 of 24

  dstranathan Posts: 1,717member

  August 6, 2002 6:14PM

  [quote]<strong>
  
  Oh yeah, floppy drive mounted on the front. Only expansion is USB/Firewire and a laptop style PC Card slot on back.
  
  </strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  How funny! Will they ever leave the floppy behind? Picture if you will a new 2003 slick silver hotrod car, but with a crankshaft from 1927 on the front! Don't PC companies realize that they cant make a "futuristic" computer with a freakin' floppy drive stinkin' up the joint!