This guy is starting a kick starter campaign
to sell an enclosure just like the new Mac Pro.
http://www.dunecase.com/
http://www.dunecase.com/
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Can someone explain this guy he will be suit by Apple?
- Thread starter ProjectManager101
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This is a shameless new Mac Pro rip off. Whats even worse is if you watch the kick starter video they act like they are the first people to come up with this design idea.
At first I thought it was a nMP case replacement in different colors. Which would be cool.
I can't imagine if this project gets funded that they won't have a legal problem with Apple!
This was the starters response when someone asked if there was any legal exploration into an infringement issue with the nMP.
"We’re just a couple of guys with an idea and have relied on good will and word of mouth as there’s no money for paid marketing or campaigns. We reached out to the pubs and have engaged on numerous forums. It’s possible the comparisons might have scared some, but, we believe we have a pretty kickass mini-ITX case and precedent backing us."
So the answer is no!
At first I thought it was a nMP case replacement in different colors. Which would be cool.
I can't imagine if this project gets funded that they won't have a legal problem with Apple!
This was the starters response when someone asked if there was any legal exploration into an infringement issue with the nMP.
"We’re just a couple of guys with an idea and have relied on good will and word of mouth as there’s no money for paid marketing or campaigns. We reached out to the pubs and have engaged on numerous forums. It’s possible the comparisons might have scared some, but, we believe we have a pretty kickass mini-ITX case and precedent backing us."
So the answer is no!
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If it was good I'd buy it. I could probably put something more useful inside it than the actual Mac Pro.
I posted about this before. I backed it at first, but then realized I really have no need for another computer.
First, the creator has said several times they did not invent, nor did Apple invent, the idea of a cylindrical computer case. I really don't think they ever claimed to have come up with this as a brand new idea.
Second, I don't think Apple has much to sue about. All of their patents, both design and utility, on the new Mac Pro go into quite a lot of very specific details about arrangement of components and heat transfer. This case certainly looks the same, but inside it looks a lot more "traditional" than the Mac Pro.
I hope this kickstarter is successful - the PC community needs more case designs. It seems for the last decade or more it's been black/beige/white boxes, that either are harsh metal or melted alien formed plastic, sometimes with windows and lights. If their case designs are inspired by Apple, so be it.
First, the creator has said several times they did not invent, nor did Apple invent, the idea of a cylindrical computer case. I really don't think they ever claimed to have come up with this as a brand new idea.
Second, I don't think Apple has much to sue about. All of their patents, both design and utility, on the new Mac Pro go into quite a lot of very specific details about arrangement of components and heat transfer. This case certainly looks the same, but inside it looks a lot more "traditional" than the Mac Pro.
I hope this kickstarter is successful - the PC community needs more case designs. It seems for the last decade or more it's been black/beige/white boxes, that either are harsh metal or melted alien formed plastic, sometimes with windows and lights. If their case designs are inspired by Apple, so be it.
While it looks similar on the outside, this is definitely a different case. It's much larger than the nMP, can only take one ITX sized GPU (versus 2 GPUs in the nMP), and does not contain a unified thermal core. This is just a round computer case, and I don't think that Apple would have much to stand on if they went after them just because both cases share a cylinder shape. What if IBM sued every company that sold computers in rectangular boxes?
It is only superficially similar. I do not see how Apple can claim that computers + cylindrical geometry + top exhaust = new invention + patent. I see this as a tribute to Apple's design prowess. On another note, I do not think anyone is going to be confused between this ITX case and a MacPro. They are wildly different in price, intended market and end-user base.
No, the Dune case is significantly larger than the Mac Pro. It is ~12L while the Mac Pro is 5.5L. That's over twice as large!
From what I believe apple has a design patent on the look of the case, but there may also be an intellectual property infringement. Utility on the other hand has to do with the arrangement of components and heat/venting transfer. So they should be ok there.
Apple was able to sue and beat Samsung for making a phone that looks similar to the iPhone. This case looks exactly like an nMP. The bottom of the case is identical to the nMP's vents. You can design a cylindrical case without it being a blatant nMP rip off. I believe If apple wanted to stop it they would have no problem in a court of law shutting it down. But this project may be to small for apple to even bother with?
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...-today-covering-the-mac-pro-3d-maps-more.html
You can see their patents that cover the Mac Pro are a lot more detailed that just the cylinder, including the design patents.
Indeed, Apple sort of shot themselves in the foot (perhaps intentionally) when they advertised that the cylindrical shape of the Mac Pro is entirely functional. As design patents are prohibited from covering functional elements, they pretty much gave up the notion of having a broad design patent for it.
The Apple v. Samsung wars, which did include some design patents, were a lot more than just the look of the phone. It included everything from the shape, size, perspectives, icon arrangements, UI behavior, proportions, etc. Here, there are several differences including the swinging door, the different top fan, different size, slightly different proportions, different placement of ports, etc. I really don't think Apple has a reasonable basis to stand on.
Also, like you said, these guys are too small time for Apple to care.
If i'm understanding correctly, this would open up to people who wants to customize their computer (mac pro)....it would be like cMP in new body.
It has nothing to do with the nMP more than the looks. It's made for PC components, PC Motherboards and GPU cards, not for anything related to the nMP.
I hope he's successful with this too, but I do think he will get some aggro from Apple. Watch this space.........
Good point. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if this thing gets funded and if apple reacts to it?
I think the idea is neat, and if you ever go and visit SFF forums a 12.2 liter case volume is nothing to sneeze at when you can still put a discrete graphics card in it.
That thing is going to be noisy though if you put anything higher then a GTX 960 in it. That Zotac GTX 970 they show in the photos is a NOISY NOISY card compared to other non-reference coolers.
That thing is going to be noisy though if you put anything higher then a GTX 960 in it. That Zotac GTX 970 they show in the photos is a NOISY NOISY card compared to other non-reference coolers.