Given the firehose-like stream of incredulous mail gushing into the AtAT inbox (faithful viewer KillSwitch led the charge), most of you had the same reaction to DA Computing's Komodo Server that we did-- namely, it's that same rush of righteous indignation that fired us up when we saw the first iMac knockoff, Future Power's ePower. See, we've come to realize that if you have to describe what makes a copycat product a copycat, it's not a blatant enough imitation to be worth the fuss. But when the similarities are so obvious that casual observers feel their blood pressure ratchet up a few points on sight, that's a knockoff for the ages. Mark the Komodo Server squarely in that category.

"But AtAT," some of you might ask, "what's a Komodo Server? Is it just another rube in the long line of iMac and iBook ripoffs?" Nope; this time it's the Power Mac G4 Cube that's been sent through the cloning machine. Evidently DA Computing was undeterred by the Cube's slow sales numbers, because the Komodo Server is so similar to Uncle Steve's latest baby, they could have been separated at birth. Oh, sure, the Komodo has a different birthmark (a green Komodo dragon instead of a Graphite apple) and appears to be quite a bit larger (in fact, MacNN's photo makes it look like a pituitary freak), but the Platinum cube suspended in a clear lucite sleeve makes it abundantly clear whose paper DA Computing was copying from when it decided to save money by not hiring industrial designers.

As a matter of fact, DA Computing doesn't even make a feeble pretense of denying that the Komodo Server is, uh, "influenced" by Apple's Cube. The company's own product info states that the device "was gifted with a beautiful out-looking, the cubic shape... If you like the Apple G4 Cube, you should like our Komodo Server." We're sure Apple's lawyers are happily filing that slightly askew yet immensely revealing quote away as damning evidence right about now.

Whether or not Apple actually chooses to sue on trade dress grounds remains to be seen, but unless the company's "charmingly enthusiastic" legal team is tremendously busy with something else, we'd guess a lawsuit is, at most, mere days away. In fact, at broadcast time, DA Computing's web site was still unavailable, whereas we had no trouble loading it up yesterday afternoon. Is that just a coincidence, or is it an ominous sign that Apple's lawyers have already leaped into the fray?