Power Mac G4 Cube

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{{Infobox Computer |name = Power Mac G4 Cube |developer = Apple Computer |type = Desktop |photo = Image:PowerMac G4 Cube.jpg |caption = The Power Mac G4 Cube. |first_release_date = July 2000 |discontinuation_date = July 2001 |processor = PowerPC G4, 450 - 500 MHz }}

Power Mac G4 Cube (also known as Power Macintosh G4 Cube) is a quiet, fanless, compact Macintosh personal computer from Apple Computer. It was sold from 2000 to 2001.

1 Features
2 Design
3 History & Sales
4 Inconveniences
5 Modifications and upgrades
6 See also
7 External links

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Features

This diminutive 8" x 8" x 8" cube suspended in a 10" tall Lucite enclosure, housed a PowerPC G4 processor running at 450 or 500 megahertz, and had an unconventional top-loading slot loading DVD-ROM drive. A separate monitor — either digital or VGA — is required for the Cube, in contrast to the all-in-one iMac series. Also unlike the iMacs, it had an upgradeable video card in a standard AGP slot. However, full length cards will not fit, as there is no space. The Cube also featured two FireWire ports, and two USB ports for connecting peripherals. Sound was provided by an external USB amplifier and a pair of Harman Kardon speakers. Although the USB amplifier had a standard mini-plug headphone output, it lacked any audio input. The Cube also used a silent, fanless, convection-based cooling system like the iMacs of the time.

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Design

Image:PowerMac Cube.jpg Apple Designer Jonathan Ive won several international awards for the cube's design. The cube can be found in many publications related to design and some technology museums.

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History & Sales

Apple targeted the Cube at the market between the iMac G3 and the Power Macintosh G4. Despite its innovative design, critics complained that it was too expensive. It was initially priced slightly higher than the cheapest model of the much larger and more expandable Power Mac G4 line, and yet did not include a monitor, thus leading to slow sales. Additionally, early Cubes suffered from a manufacturing defect that led to faint lines in the clear plastic case. After seeing low profits, Apple attempted to increase sales by bundling more software with the cube, lowering the price of the base model, incorporating a CD-RW drive standard for the 500 MHz version, and offering an improved NVIDIA graphics card as an option. These efforts could not offset the earlier perceptions of reduced value compared to the iMac or Power Mac G4 lines, and in July 2001 Apple issued a short and slightly unusual press release announcing the product was to be put "on ice". Although not "officially discontinued", this was seen as a way to quietly terminate the Cube product line. As a result of the failure of the G4 Cube, Apple Computer's stock (which had risen to a high based on the success of the iMac G3) had dropped back to the low levels from before the iMac was released. It was not until the introduction of the iPod MP3 player that Apple shares would recover.

Apple's previous statement indicated that there was a slim possibility of Cube production being resumed in the future, and it would appear that the Mac mini has succeeded the Cube as a small, screenless computer. If this is true, it would be another example of Apple creating a product before its time like the Newton PDA.

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Inconveniences

While the Cube was generally considered very visually attractive, the limitations of its design led to several practical inconveniences. The most remarked one was the thermal vent. If this is blocked, the unit may start to overheat, and will be automatically shut down. Unfortunately, the flat top of the unit makes a very tempting place to put down books and papers, rendering this scenario not unlikely. Also, the unit had no fewer cables than other Macs; this meant a tangle of wires in the void below the computer and elsewhere, diminishing the "clean lines" effect. While a few manufacturers have come out with CPU and optical disk upgrades designed specifically for the G4 Cube, the lack of space inside the Cube's enclosure prevented owners from making any other substantial internal upgrades.

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Modifications and upgrades

Since the Cube's demise, a number of Cube enthusiasts have made modifications to their machines. Some of the more popular upgrades are high performance video cards (complete with ductwork to allow the GPU fan to work correctly in the small Cube case) and third-party CPU upgrade cards (up to 1.8 GHz per Aug. 2005); a few people have even modified their Cubes to take a dual-processor upgrade. A popular upgrade is the Geforce 2 MX, which exists in a version especially created for the Cube. Other popular changes include case modifications such as lighting and extra cooling.

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