MacMiniColo submits this perfect example of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. In this case, AOpen practically cloned the form factor of the Mac mini - hell, they even completely ripped of the mini's packaging. Should AOpen get a nasty Christmas card from the new, omnipotent Apple legal department? Or did they just coincidentally release a machine that resembles the mini? (Jobs to lawyers: "release the hounds!")

I have good buddy who imports whoopie cushions, ab-burners and the cigarette lighters from China by the ship load. He explained to me "There is no copying in China. There is just very close, intense study of the things that are successful in the marketplace." ....

We just got our hands on the AOpen mini PC, which bears a striking resemblance to the Mac mini.

A few hours playing with it under XP shows it to be a good little unit. Its a tad noisier and warmer than it the Mac mini, but all in all a good little unit. (Except it runs XP or Linux rather than OS X).

More side-by-side pictures of the *ahem* gross infringement at MacMiniColo.