HP's new Windows 8 desktop: A blatant iMac rip-off?

Hewlett-Packard unveiled a raft of new Windows 8 PCs this week, and one of them — the Spectre One — grabbed critics' attention for all the wrong reasons. The computer's design looks eerily familiar to the iMac's, as HP's all-in-one machine comes with a curvy aluminum-like base, a flat white keyboard, and a black bezel surrounding its 23.6-inch screen. (See a photo at right and below.) Is HP, a company once known for pushing the computing industry forward, blatantly ripping off Apple's desktops?

Of course this is a blatant rip-off: Meet HP's new desktop, says Matthew Panzarino at The Next Web: The Apple iMac. The Spectre One (release date unknown) "looks like absolutely nothing other than a complete clone." There are "nearly infinite combinations" of designs and components that HP could've chosen, but instead, everything from the keyboard to the touchpad are obvious approximations of Apple's offerings. Hewlett-Packard used to be synonymous with innovation. For HP, "this is just a sad day."

"HP introduces new Apple iMac"

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Well, maybe HP is trying to lure Mac users: Apple is expected to refresh its iMac line soon, but HP "appears to be trying to steal some of the i-maker's thunder with a new sleek-looking all-in-one PC," says John P. Mello Jr. at PC World. Not much is known about what's inside this machine other than "the latest Intel processors," but it reportedly comes with NFC support, allowing users to bump their phones against it to cordlessly transfer files. Spec-wise, it may even have an edge over the current crop of Macs.

"HP tries to trump iMac with Spectre One"

And HP is hardly the first to copy Apple: A decade ago, Apple stopped eMachines, Daewoo, and others from selling iMac clones featuring translucently colored parts, says Daniel Eran Dilger at Apple Insider. And this summer, a jury awarded Apple some $1 billion after Samsung was found guilty of infringing on iPhone patents. Plus, millions of dollars are being spent to promote so-called "Ultrabooks," which aren't much more than carbon copies of the MacBook Air. "Nothing is new about copying Apple's designs." HP is just the most recent to join the club.

"HP taken to task for releasing iMac clone"