August 13th, 1999

[1:40 PM]
20th Anniversary Mac Ripoff Hitting Stores This Week (With Pics)
The Packard Bell NEC 20th Anniversary Macintosh knockoff, called the NEC Z1, is due to hit store shelves this week. The company claims that the design, which closely resembles the 4 year old 20th Anniversary Macintosh, is innovative and sets a new standard. According to Packard Bell's propaganda:

Packard Bell NEC Inc.'s Consumer Division Thursday announced that its highly anticipated all-in-one home computer, the NEC Z1, officially arrives in retail stores nationwide this weekend.

The Z1, with its sleek design, distinctive flat-panel display, cutting-edge specifications and easy upgradability, has already received extensive praise even before hitting store shelves. With a retail price of $2,499, the Z1 will change the way people compute by offering the best combination of form, function and flexibility.

The Z1's innovative design incorporates numerous ease-of-use and ease-of-setup features, which has helped it earn acclaim from the industry. Offering a simple out-of-the-box experience, the Z1 requires only two connections -- power and telephone -- to be fully operational in less than 10 minutes.

The Z1 truly sets a new standard in the area of PC design, offering consumers a computer that is as much a work of art as it is a high-performance PC.

At first glance, users are greeted with the stunning 15-inch flat-panel display, as well as the system's DVD-ROM and floppy drives. The Z1's processor, motherboard, memory and other key hardware, are housed in a slim, integrated chassis, located directly behind the flat-panel display. Supporting the chassis and display is a curved base that holds the system's hard drive.

The Z1's breathtaking design will please users not only with its aesthetic beauty, but also with its small, 10-inches-square footprint, about the size of a standard sheet of paper. With its two-toned metallic color and elegant design, consumers can proudly display the Z1 in any room of their home.


20th Anniversary Macintosh

The Mac Observer Spin: The only design standards affirmed in the Z1 are those set forth by Apple with the 20th Anniversary Macintosh. In our opinion, the only breathtaking aspect of the Z1 is the depths to which Packard Bell has deluded themselves that its design is original.

NEC Z1