PC looks like a giant iPod

For years, Windows PC owners have been able to connect to an iPod. Now they can have a computer that looks like the iconic digital music player.

Logisys Computer this week added the ePod Soho case to its lineup of unusual PC shells. The white PC case has several "buttons" resembling those found on the scroll wheel of an Apple Computer iPod, as well as a blue LED light that gives the case a constant backlit glow.

The ePod is a shell into which individuals or custom PC makers would need to add a processor, motherboard, hard drive and other components. It's just one of many unusual products offered by the Pomona, Calif.-based company. Other unique designs include a clear blue acrylic case and an optical mouse that resembles a Volkswagen Bug.

The ePod is currently shown on Logisys's Web site, but it is not yet available through any retailers. A Logisys representative said the company has not had any communications with Apple.

But even the company's motto--"We do different"--is somewhat reminiscent of Apple's "Think Different" campaign.

Apple has been known to take legal action against makers of PCs and music players that it thinks resemble its wares too closely. For example, it sued eMachines and a few others back in the late 1990s when they came up with PCs that Apple felt treaded too close to the design of the original iMac. Apple settled several of those suits in 2000.

However, it's unclear what the company will do with a PC that resembles its music player. An Apple representative was not immediately available for comment.