Taiwan show reflects iMac influence.

A host of head-turning and penny-pinching designs, some of which take their cues from Apple_s iMac, are all the rage at the Computex show here. "Web pads," wall computers, phones with Internet screens, Pentium TV set-top boxes, a bevy of ultraslim notebooks, and colorful monitors are all being showcased by Taiwanese original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs at the trade show. The Taiwanese companies displaying products excel at building products for computer companies worldwide including Compaq, IBM, Fujitsu, and Toshiba, so the unique designs could start appearing on store shelves soon. Bcom Electronics, Allwell Technology, Mitac and others all displayed stripped-down TV set-top boxes. The devices allow for Internet viewing and e-commerce. Projected prices for the devices are around $299, and many are expected to come out in July. Interestingly, a number of these machines use last-generation PC processors from National Semiconductor, AMD, and Intel. The aging, though economical, 233-MHz Pentium MMX was used in three devices...
The iMac influence Color appeared to be winning out over funky design innovation, representing the influence that Apple Computer_s iMac has cast over the industry. Since last September, Intel has been showing reference designs for PCs that resemble Mayan pyramids or vases. None of these types of computers were spotted in a tour of the PC section of the trade show floor. Intel, nonetheless, has said in the past that Taiwanese companies are working on such designs, and that they could begin to arrive in the back-to-school time frame this year.