Why did they kill the cube?

[phreakout13]

Why did Apple discontinue the G4 Cube? They seem so cool.

[rainman::|:|]

Because no one bought them.

It was a consumer machine at a pro price (proving Jobs' four-square product line). Biggest complaint I heard was lack of PCI slots.

It's technically "on ice" rather than discontinued, which breeds tons of speculation about a G5 cube, but i don't think it'll happen... unless they wind up trimming the price to sub $1000 and selling it as a headless iMac.

paul

[sandmann41]

weren't there some problems with cracking too?

[Frohickey]

Lets see...

Because it was slow.
Because it was expensive.
Because it sucked, and lost money.

[wordmunger]

The concept was cool, the execution, not so much.

The powerbrick was way too big, there were too many cords going every which way (especially with the speakers), and it was too expensive. The flat panel iMac is the cube's true heir.

[IJ Reilly]

Because no one bought them.

Hyperbole alert...! I don't recall the exact sales figures, but it was certainly in the tens of thousands of units. I've never heard anyone complain about the lack of PCI slots. The iMac never had 'em either. And the Cube did have an AGP slot at least, which the iMac never did.

Most Cube owners will have a different answer (at least this one does). First, the Cube was so over-engineered, it could never be sold at a competitive price. Just one look at the "core" and you know this thing had to cost a relative fortune to manufacture. In a world of cheap, commodity hardware, the Cube was only going to sell to people who put a premium on quality industrial design.

Second, the design automatically limited its future. Taken beyond the standard 450 or 500 mhz G4, the Cube requires a fan to cool the CPU, which negates one of the Cube's selling points. The AGP slot also requires a shorter-than-normal video card, of which only three were ever manufactured.

The Cube was great Mac, and a spectacular engineering effort, but a technological dead-end, sadly. I seriously doubt we we'll see its like again.

[IJ Reilly]

The concept was cool, the execution, not so much.

The powerbrick was way too big, there were too many cords going every which way (especially with the speakers), and it was too expensive. The flat panel iMac is the cube's true heir.

The execution was nearly perfect, considering the number of engineering challenges Apple faced in design and manufacturing. Where they really pushed the envelope, particularly with the touch switch, they had to issue a fix, but that's the only one.

The Cube has fewer cords than most computers, except for the all-in-one designs, if you use it with an ADC display.

The G4 iMac is the successor to the G3 iMac, not the Cube.

The power brick is a non-issue.

[rendezvouscp]

According to Apple's Press Release (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2001/jul/03cube.html),

Apple Puts Power Mac G4 Cube on Ice

CUPERTINO, California—July 3, 2001—Apple® today announced that it will suspend production of the Power Mac™ G4 Cube indefinitely. The company said there is a small chance it will reintroduce an upgraded model of the unique computer in the future, but that there are no plans to do so at this time.

“Cube owners love their Cubes, but most customers decided to buy our powerful Power Mac G4 minitowers instead,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

The Power Mac G4 Cube, at less than one fourth the size of most PCs, represented an entirely new class of computer delivering high performance in an eight-inch cube suspended in a stunning crystal-clear enclosure.
–Chase

[wordmunger]

The Cube has fewer cords than most computers, except for the all-in-one designs, if you use it with an ADC display.

Not true. The previous G4 had 5 cords (monitor, monitor power, computer power, keyboard, mouse)

The cube has 6 to 8, depending on how you count:

1. outlet to brick
2. brick to PC
3. PC to monitor
4. PC to keyboard
5. keyboard to mouse
6. PC to speaker box
7. Speaker box to speaker 1
8. speaker box to speaker 2

If you count the 3 separate speaker wires as 1, then I guess you could say it has 6.

The bigger problem is that most of these cables are on the desktop, making for a presentation that is hardly elegant. You don't want to put your cube under your desk; you'd be in danger of tipping it over, and there'd be no access to the ports.
The G4 iMac is the successor to the G3 iMac, not the Cube.
I guess it's a matter of opinion, but the G4 iMac looks more like the cube than it does the G3 iMac, and it uses the same processor and speakers as the cube. But if you think it's more like the G3 iMac, then maybe it is ... to you.
The power brick is a non-issue.
Depends on your situation. If, like many mac users, you have an affinity for glass-topped desks, it's an eyesore at best.

[m.r.m.]

def. the most beautiful computer ever built. i think you could bring it back with a single fan. you could have all parts running on heatpipes and have a big fan right at the bottom (just above a dust filter) that causes a stream of air upwards. it wouldn´t need to run too fast, so there wouldn´t be too much noise and it would actively ensure an airstream that would be faster than just by thermodynamics.

[MontgomeryBurns]

The G4 iMac is the successor to the G3 iMac, not the Cube.

Perhaps in name, but the flat panel iMac has more in common with the cube from a design perspective. And, like the G4 iMac, the Cube was, as Paul pointed out, a consumer machine at a pro price. The main difference between the two computers is that the imac has a screen while the cube does not.

The eMac is the successor to the G3 iMac.

If Apple does decide to release a 'headless' machine, whether it be an imac or something else, it seems likely that it will have characteristics in common with the cube. If that is the case hopefully it will be a little more expandable, perhaps in a larger container.

[FuzzyBallz]

Somebody in our department has one attached to a 17" Mac LCD. It looks all right. I don't remember seeing anybody else in the whole institution w/ a Cube though.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Gee, Frohickey...

You're awfully hard on the Cube!

I've had one since it came out, and I've got to say it's the BEST computer I've ever had the benefit of owning. It's SMALL, quiet (fanless!), expandable, adaptive and GREAT looking.

OK - so Apple's marketing was WAAAY off. It was expensive, and had virtually NO upgradability when it came out initially.

But - just LOOK what you can do with it:

* Memory expandable to 1.5GB
* Internal Hard Drive expandable to 120GB
* Graphics card expandable to ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (with a little doctoring!)
* SuperDrive upgradable
* Processor upgradable to 1.4 GHz G4 (7457 chip)
* Screen upgradable to 23"
* 2 x FireWire, 5 x USB

What MORE could you ask for?!?

...I rest my case.

:)

[IJ Reilly]

Perhaps in name, but the flat panel iMac has more in common with the cube from a design perspective. And, like the G4 iMac, the Cube was, as Paul pointed out, a consumer machine at a pro price. The main difference between the two computers is that the imac has a screen while the cube does not.

Sorry, but you are both incorrect. The iMac was and is an all-in-one design. The Cube was a modular machine. There are no meaningful similarities between the G4 iMac and the Cube. What's more, when the Cube was introduced it was placed in a new pro-sumer category between the G3 iMac and the PowerMac (a category which is now vanished). The G4 iMac replaced the G3 iMac in Apple's product lineup. The eMac was originally conceived as an education-only product, not a consumer product at all.

[IJ Reilly]

Not true. The previous G4 had 5 cords (monitor, monitor power, computer power, keyboard, mouse)

The cube has 6 to 8, depending on how you count:

1. outlet to brick
2. brick to PC
3. PC to monitor
4. PC to keyboard
5. keyboard to mouse
6. PC to speaker box
7. Speaker box to speaker 1
8. speaker box to speaker 2

If you count the 3 separate speaker wires as 1, then I guess you could say it has 6.

So, you're comparing a computer with no speakers at all to one that had speakers included, just so you can count more wires. Sounds fair to me...

The power brick was designed to sit on the floor. Not sure why anybody would put it on their desk.

[wordmunger]

So, you're comparing a computer with no speakers at all to one that had speakers included, just so you can count more wires. Sounds fair to me...
No, you're wrong. The G4 at the time had a mono speaker, and the cube had no internal speaker. If you wanted sound with the cube, you had to use the 3-cord speakers.
The power brick was designed to sit on the floor. Not sure why anybody would put it on their desk.
I'm not talking about putting it on the desk. I'm talking about seeing all those cords on the floor through a glass desk.

The point is, it wasn't a very elegant computer, once everything was hooked up. Sure, the cube looked great all by itself, but by the time everything was attached, not so great.

[IJ Reilly]

I guess it's a matter of opinion, but the G4 iMac looks more like the cube than it does the G3 iMac, and it uses the same processor and speakers as the cube. But if you think it's more like the G3 iMac, then maybe it is ... to you.

Ooookay, I've got one of each right in front of me. They look so similar! Let's see, the Cube is rectangular; the iMac hemispherical. The Cube is transparent; the iMac is white. The Cube has a separate display; the iMac has an integrated display. The Cube has the optical drive on the top; the iMac has it on the front. The Cube's optical drive is slot-loading; the iMac is a tray loader. The Cube's got an AGP video card with ADC; the iMac has integrated video. The Cube has USB speakers; the iMac has conventional speakers. They both have a G4 processor. What was I thinking?

BTW, I never said that the G4 iMac "looks more" like the G3 iMac. I said that the former replaced the latter in Apple's product lineup.

[rainman::|:|]

Hyperbole alert...! I don't recall the exact sales figures, but it was certainly in the tens of thousands of units. I've never heard anyone complain about the lack of PCI slots. The iMac never had 'em either. And the Cube did have an AGP slot at least, which the iMac never did.

So, you're saying Apple lied when they cited sales as the major factor for this? And iMacs don't have them, but iMacs start a lot lower than Cubes did. Pro price, consumer machine. Don't even start with the AGP crap, considering virtually nothing was built for it... which you mentioned.

The cube was definitely a hell of an engineering feat, but it's specs did not stand up against the similarly-priced PMG4s, which is exactly what Apple said in the press release.

And if you've never heard anyone bitch about a lack of PCI slots, just go find a Cube forum. That turned a lot of people off.

I don't think the fan had much to do with it, Apple did, after all, leave room for a fan, and they seemed perfectly primed to add one when necessary. But it never was necessary, before they bumped the speed that high, they had already lost too much money on cubes.

paul

[IJ Reilly]

No, you're wrong. The G4 at the time had a mono speaker, and the cube had no internal speaker. If you wanted sound with the cube, you had to use the 3-cord speakers.

This is getting kind of silly. If you insist on looking at it that way, then the iMac also has "three cord speakers."

I understand the point you're trying to make here, I just think you're stretching the facts a bit to do it.

[wordmunger]

Which of these doesn't belong?

[IJ Reilly]

So, you're saying Apple lied when they cited sales as the major factor for this? And iMacs don't have them, but iMacs start a lot lower than Cubes did. Pro price, consumer machine. Don't even start with the AGP crap, considering virtually nothing was built for it... which you mentioned.

No, I'm just calling you on the exaggeration, "nobody bought it." The Cube didn't sell well enough. We both know that. The curious thing, and I think the reason Apple hinted that it might come back, is what happened the moment the Cube was discontinued: the last of them flew off the shelves. Anybody who thought they might want one grabbed in a hurry. I waited like a week, and was too late. Ended up buying one on eBay.

AGP isn't "crap," it's just a fact. The Cube was a modular machine, unlike the iMac. The lack of video cards for the Cube is a function of it having been on the market for such a brief time. With the odd form factor, it would have always been a limitation. But I've said that already.

[wordmunger]

This is getting kind of silly. If you insist on looking at it that way, then the iMac also has "three cord speakers."

I understand the point you're trying to make here, I just think you're stretching the facts a bit to do it.
But the iMac integrated the monitor and lost the powerbrick. Also, the "three-cord speakers" on the iMac worked better, because you could hide the speakerbox behind the CPU, while the speakerbox in the cubes tended to get tangled up in the monitor's feet. Not to mention the fact that the iMac was cheaper, even when compared to the cube without a monitor.

[IJ Reilly]

Which of these doesn't belong?

Where? :)

[Koodauw]

Whoa, the Cube has only been "suspended" This is great new.

G5 iMac Cube Tuesday! spread the word. ;)

[rainman::|:|]

*sigh* okay look people...

the iMac replaced the iMac, G4 or G3 notwithstanding. The G4 iMac was simply the next version of the G3 iMac, which shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

The eMac was a new machine, slightly modeled after the form factor of the G3 iMac, but not originally intended as a consumer machine, and not part of the four-square product plan.

The Cube was also a new machine, modeled after nothing. Also not part of the four-square.

The four-square simply said: There are laptops and desktops, and pro and consumer. iMac = consumer desktop. iBook = consumer laptop. PowerMac = pro desktop. PowerBook = pro laptop. the Cube didn't fit in, and it proved the four-square plan perfectly. Indeed, the four-square held good until the eMac was released for consumers. Enterprise solutions like servers don't count into this, nor do educational solutions.

edit: IJ Reilly, i assumed you were intelligent enough to know "nobody bought it" meant low sales, not literally not-one-unit-was-sold. Come on, use some common sense in what you pick fights about. BTW, tens of thousands of units, for a computer, is piss-poor sales. and AGP does not a modular computer make.

paul

[sonofslim]

Lets see...

Because it was slow.
Because it was expensive.
Because it sucked, and lost money.

i'll give you two of four. but spec-wise, it was competitive at the time it was released, so it's unfair to call it slow; the two PowerMac models at the time ran at 400MHz and 450MHz, just like the cube.

and "sucked" just does not apply -- it had its pros and cons, like any other model. Apple wanted people to compare it to the high-end PowerMac, which was $700 more than the cube when the cube was announced. but most people priced it against the mid-level PowerMacs, which sold for $300 less than the cube. essentially, Apple guessed wrong on that one and priced themselves out of their own market.

and according to cubeowner.com (http://www.cubeowner.com), Apple sold 148,000 cubes during its lifetime. which, apparently, wasn't enough to keep it afloat at nearly $1,800 a pop.

[IJ Reilly]

But the iMac integrated the monitor and lost the powerbrick. Also, the "three-cord speakers" on the iMac worked better, because you could hide the speakerbox behind the CPU, while the speakerbox in the cubes tended to get tangled up in the monitor's feet. Not to mention the fact that the iMac was cheaper, even when compared to the cube without a monitor.

Sure, the iMac has always had an integrated power supply. Your point being...?

The iMac speakers don't have a box. Unlike the Cube, they're ordinary audio-output types. The wire splits about an inch behind the plug.

Of course the iMac was cheaper. It was supposed to occupy the bottom end of the product line. The Cube was supposed to open a line between the consumer and pro lines.

[IJ Reilly]

i'll give you two of four. but spec-wise, it was competitive at the time it was released, so it's unfair to call it slow; the two PowerMac models at the time ran at 400MHz and 450MHz, just like the cube.

and "sucked" just does not apply -- it had its pros and cons, like any other model. Apple wanted people to compare it to the high-end PowerMac, which was $700 more than the cube when the cube was announced. but most people priced it against the mid-level PowerMacs, which sold for $300 less than the cube. essentially, Apple guessed wrong on that one and priced themselves out of their own market.

and according to cubeowner.com (http://www.cubeowner.com), Apple sold 148,000 cubes during its lifetime. which, apparently, wasn't enough to keep it afloat at nearly $1,800 a pop.

Thank you. (Though actually the Cube ran at 450 and 500 mhz.)

[wordmunger]

Sure, the iMac has always had an integrated power supply. Your point being...?
That's one fewer cord than the Cube, one reason the iMac was a more elegant solution.

The iMac speakers don't have a box. Unlike the Cube, they're ordinary audio-output types. The wire splits about an inch behind the plug.
I stand corrected. However, this is another feature of the iMac that makes it more elegant than the cube.

Of course the iMac was cheaper. It was supposed to occupy the bottom end of the product line. The Cube was supposed to open a line between the consumer and pro lines.
Which is why the iMac was a smash hit and the Cube was a flop.

[sonofslim]

Thank you. (Though actually the Cube ran at 450 and 500 mhz.)

d'oh... you're totally correct.

and as a general comment: everyone here knows that using words like "sucks," "flop," and "inelegant" around cube-owners is like telling someone their pets are ugly and stupid, right? at some point, all cubies are going to give up on rational argument and get emotional.

and yes, i do own a cube.

[IJ Reilly]

edit: IJ Reilly, i assumed you were intelligent enough to know "nobody bought it" meant low sales, not literally not-one-unit-was-sold. Come on, use some common sense in what you pick fights about. BTW, tens of thousands of units, for a computer, is piss-poor sales. and AGP does not a modular computer make.

Sorry, I really wasn't trying to tick you off, but to someone who didn't know, they'd have to assume from your description that the Cube was a total sales disaster. As far as using common sense in picking fights goes, you might want to rethink your modular computer remark. The Cube wasn't modular because of the AGP slot. It was modular because the monitor was not integrated. We seem to agree entirely that the G4 iMac wasn't a replacement for the Cube. We're actually making the same point.

[IJ Reilly]

d'oh... you're totally correct.

and as a general comment: everyone here knows that using words like "sucks," "flop," and "inelegant" around cube-owners is like telling someone their pets are ugly and stupid, right? at some point, all cubies are going to give up on rational argument and get emotional.

and yes, i do own a cube.

I think these are poor words to use in any discussion. They don't describe anything and are used mainly to annoy others.

I'm completely aware of the Cube's deficiencies. In fact, I believe I was the one who mentioned most of them first...

[IJ Reilly]

That's one fewer cord than the Cube, one reason the iMac was a more elegant solution.


I stand corrected. However, this is another feature of the iMac that makes it more elegant than the cube.

I haven't said anything about the relative elegance of the iMac (either version) and the Cube. I like them both, for different reasons.

[Mord]

Lets see...

Because it was slow.
Because it was expensive.
Because it sucked, and lost money.

it wasent slow, it wasent expensive (when you compared it to a 450MHz tower) and it definatly did not suck it was a kick ass mac that did not sell well because of remarks about lack of upgradablility and it being slower than a 400MHz tower (which it was not) it is in my opinion the best mac ever made and it's a tragidy that apple no longer makes them

[Mord]

Taken beyond the standard 450 or 500 mhz G4, the Cube requires a fan to cool the CPU, which negates one of the Cube's selling points. The AGP slot also requires a shorter-than-normal video card, of which only three were ever manufactured.

the fan noise is a non issue i have a giga designs fan in my cube with a dual 450MHz posessor and the fan is bearly audibal over my HD which i replaced with a quieter 7200rpm drive so my cube is acctually a bit quieter than it was before the upgrades.

as for ghraphics cards that fit you are wrong the following cards fit with no or little mods (eg cutting the face plate so it fits which anyone can do)

rage pro
radeon oem (rage6)
geforce 2 mx
geforce 2 twinveiw
radeon 7000 (flashed pc card)
radeon 7500
geforce 3
(there are some matrox cards that fit but they are os 9 only so are not really worth mentioning)

and in combination with a clearcube (www.powerlogix.com) or a vrm relocation (pop over to www.cubeowner.com to see what this is) you can fit these cards:

flashed geforce 3's
radeon 9000
radeon 8500 (and a flashed pc one)
geforce 4 mx 32Mb and 64MB versions
radeon 9700 (flashed pc version (not confirmed to work reliably yet)

and finally cards that require an external powersupply to run the cards.

the king of the hill radeon 9800 pro and xt flashed pc cards (look for a guy called amacapart on ebay to get them)

even with only the ones that require no mods it runs over your 3 cards ever made figure, please dont just make stuff up like that you jut assumed that there weren't any but there are.

[tjwett]

i miss my Cube everyday. it was an awesome machine. silence is a wonderful thing that is so often taken for granted. and it wasn't slow, not at the time. there were an awful lot of wire as someone said earlier. people have grown to like the new iMac and it has a fan in it. i think if they redo the Cube but with a fan, onboard power supply, and some other fixes it would be a great machine to replace the current iMac. i have a feeling the next iMac will indeed be more Cube-like than Lamp-like.

[Foucault]

Ummm, I had a cube and it's casing cracked. It was cute and all, but the cracked case became larger and larger the longer I had it. I don't know if it was the heat from the processor or not, but I was glad they stopped making it.

[ryan42]

Why'd Apple kill the 610 DOS Compatable?

[Dr. Dastardly]

I think that the market is there and all around. Just look at how many PC cubes there are. They just need to give it a pro chip if they are going to charge a pro price. As well as being able to use some high end graphics cards. No fans was a cool idea but I think ultimatly led to the demise of the cube. :(

It probably will rise again in some form or another.

[wordmunger]

there were an awful lot of wire as someone said earlier.

Thank you.

I liked the Cube (actually I have two of them), but is it so hard to acknowledge there were too many wires?

[lazymuoio]

Thank you.

I liked the Cube (actually I have two of them), but is it so hard to acknowledge there were too many wires?

couldnt they redesign the cube with a bluetooth module to help cut down on the wires

[ChrisH3677]

There has been some (deliberate) confusion of terms re which mac is an evolution of which. Technically, the iMac FP is evolved from the iMac CRT. But philosophically (and in terms of target market), I reckon the Cube is more akin to the iMac FP. For me, it's always seemed to be a headless iMac.

Also, in terms of target market, IMO, the eMac is the successor to the iMac CRT. They both are robust, durable computers that can take a beating from kids.

Ok. Here's a new point to discuss....

If the Cube had've survived, where would it fit in today's range, and who would it be targeted at?

My thoughts are the Cube would compete with the iMac FP - which could've been a problem. The Cube tho could've had more corporate potential.

[BWhaler]

I'd love a G5 cube. Outside of memory, I could care less about expansion as long as Btooth, APExtreme, and a fantastic video card was built in.

[Dr. Dastardly]

Cubes are still going for over a $1000 on Ebay. :p

[yamabushi]

There has been some (deliberate) confusion of terms re which mac is an evolution of which. Technically, the iMac FP is evolved from the iMac CRT. But philosophically (and in terms of target market), I reckon the Cube is more akin to the iMac FP. For me, it's always seemed to be a headless iMac.

Also, in terms of target market, IMO, the eMac is the successor to the iMac CRT. They both are robust, durable computers that can take a beating from kids.

Ok. Here's a new point to discuss....

If the Cube had've survived, where would it fit in today's range, and who would it be targeted at?

My thoughts are the Cube would compete with the iMac FP - which could've been a problem. The Cube tho could've had more corporate potential.

I agree. However Apple never intended things to work out this way. They adverstised the FP iMac as a consumer model but priced it out of the range of consideration for most consumers. I think this makes it more of a prosumer or mid-level model. Actually I think it waws a mistake to call it an iMac in the first place. The effect of their desicion was that the original iMac brand that had been such a hit was abandoned. The Cube was also a prosumer model but was priced and advertised as a pro or high-level model. Both the FP iMac and the Cube had lower than expected sales because of poor product positioning. Basically Apple marketers couldn't think beyond the four square strategy. A low/mid/high strategy would have been more appropriate as they expanded their product line.

[wordmunger]

couldnt they redesign the cube with a bluetooth module to help cut down on the wires
It does seem like this is exactly what they're doing with the new iMac -- rumors pointing to removable monitor, bluetooth keyboard/mouse. The iMac already has an integrated power supply, so the brick would be lost. All you'd be left with is the pesky speaker wires, which could also be bluetooth if need be. Personally I'd rather see a "luggable" imac -- a 10-15 pound laptop - shaped device that you could mount on the wall if you want to (controlling w/bluetooth keyboard/mouse), or store like a stereo component in your stereo cabinet and run the video through the TV (again controlling with bluetooth keyboard/mouse).

[Mord]

It does seem like this is exactly what they're doing with the new iMac -- rumors pointing to removable monitor, bluetooth keyboard/mouse. The iMac already has an integrated power supply, so the brick would be lost. All you'd be left with is the pesky speaker wires, which could also be bluetooth if need be. Personally I'd rather see a "luggable" imac -- a 10-15 pound laptop - shaped device that you could mount on the wall if you want to (controlling w/bluetooth keyboard/mouse), or store like a stereo component in your stereo cabinet and run the video through the TV (again controlling with bluetooth keyboard/mouse).



what rumors? i haven't heard any that suggest what you are suggesting only a few peoples wish lists in that they want what you describe, but when apple gave people what they wanted a headless imac with a g4 they complained and said it was too expensive, when what they were getting was the perfect mac, small, portable, upgradeable, the coolest looking thing you have ever seen, it was a great mac and in my opinion the greatest, esp. when you have a desk with a hole in it so that the wires can drop through to the power supply and the adc wire can come back up to the awe inspiring studio display with two thin wires going to crystal clear round speakers with stainless steel discs vibrating to the sound of your itunes library and all for the £2000 (approx.) that i payed for it, it was the greatest mac and yeah it had it's problems the odd crack and the over sensitive power button but the latter is easily fixed with some anti static bag and the cracked case can be replaced (i have never actually seen a cracked case so i wouldn't know but still)

[IJ Reilly]

even with only the ones that require no mods it runs over your 3 cards ever made figure, please dont just make stuff up like that you jut assumed that there weren't any but there are.

I don't assume anything, and I don't make anything up, either. I've owned a Cube for nearly three years now. I'm a member over at Cubeower and know quite a bit about all of the upgrades and mods. It is still a fact that only three video cards were made for the Cube: The RagePro, GeForce 2MX and the Radeon. Several other cards can be made to work, but only with modifications of one sort or another (from minor to major). These other cards were not made to fit in the Cube. This was my only point about video cards.

Seems I'm being attacked by both the Cube lovers and the Cube haters. I guess that puts me in the middle somewhere...

Edit: The GeForce 3 will also fit, without modifications, IIRC. But just try to find an Apple OEM GeForce 3 for under $500.00.

[IJ Reilly]

I agree. However Apple never intended things to work out this way. They adverstised the FP iMac as a consumer model but priced it out of the range of consideration for most consumers. I think this makes it more of a prosumer or mid-level model. Actually I think it waws a mistake to call it an iMac in the first place. The effect of their desicion was that the original iMac brand that had been such a hit was abandoned. The Cube was also a prosumer model but was priced and advertised as a pro or high-level model. Both the FP iMac and the Cube had lower than expected sales because of poor product positioning. Basically Apple marketers couldn't think beyond the four square strategy. A low/mid/high strategy would have been more appropriate as they expanded their product line.

All true, IMO. Apple was actually trying to move beyond the four squares with the Cube, but they didn't get it right in terms of pricing. With those four boxes burned into my mind by the force of Steve's RDF, I remember thinking at the time the Cube was announced, what would go in the lower box, between the iBook and the PowerBook. The ultimate answer was nothing.

[Mord]

The AGP slot also requires a shorter-than-normal video card, of which only three were ever manufactured.

I mentioned the geforce 3 and you can get a NEW one from www.welovemacs.com for $300 they sell allot of cards that fit in the cube

your quote suggested that you think only three cards fit which as you know is not true quite a few cards that size are made aka low profile cards like the geforce 3, the geforce 2 twinview and the 7500.

my point stands you wording is flawed (nitpicky i know but true) what it should of read was that there were no retail cards produced that are warrented to work in the cube but there are many oem and modifyed cards that do

[rdowns]

Cubes are still going for over a $1000 on Ebay. :p

Goes to show you how stupid many buyers are. Powermax has dozens available for between $500-$800 depending on configuration.

[Dr. Dastardly]

Goes to show you how stupid many buyers are. Powermax has dozens available for between $500-$800 depending on configuration.
I never thought Ebay had the best deals. Its more of one stop shopping for everything under the sun. And when you do actually find a good deal on something, you get reamed on the shipping charges. :eek:

[tjwett]

i'd be willing to be that the next iMac will not have any wires at all, aside from power and audio probably. i think it would be obvious for them to have bluetooth built in and ship with the wireless mouse and keyboard.

[IJ Reilly]

I mentioned the geforce 3 and you can get a NEW one from www.welovemacs.com for $300 they sell allot of cards that fit in the cube

your quote suggested that you think only three cards fit which as you know is not true quite a few cards that size are made aka low profile cards like the geforce 3, the geforce 2 twinview and the 7500.

my point stands you wording is flawed (nitpicky i know but true) what it should of read was that there were no retail cards produced that are warrented to work in the cube but there are many oem and modifyed cards that do

I've said it at least three times now: only three cards were made to fit in the Cube. Some others do fit, with modifications. How much clearer do I need to make this, or to repeat it? Please!

That's the best price I've seen on the GeForce 3. I've been watching them on eBay for probably a year now, and hardly ever seen them go for under $500.00.

[g4cubed]

Goes to show you how stupid many buyers are. Powermax has dozens available for between $500-$800 depending on configuration.
That depends on what was in it, upgrade speaking.
I mentioned the geforce 3 and you can get a NEW one from www.welovemacs.com for $300 they sell allot of cards that fit in the cube

your quote suggested that you think only three cards fit which as you know is not true quite a few cards that size are made aka low profile cards like the geforce 3, the geforce 2 twinview and the 7500.

my point stands you wording is flawed (nitpicky i know but true) what it should of read was that there were no retail cards produced that are warrented to work in the cube but there are many oem and modifyed cards that do
I checked and didn't find any. Where did you see it again because I would be interested in picking one up.

I presently own 2. I bought a 450MHz when it first came out. Mint condition and still have the box. I picked another on ebay for $400.00, which I'm presently starting to mod. It was a bitchin' design but a bit over priced.

[Mord]

http://www.welovemacs.com/18.html

theres the geforce 3

and there are a few more options

http://www.welovemacs.com/applevideo.html

IJ Reilly i know thats what you ment but what you said was that there were only three produced of that hight which is incorrect your point on them not being warrented is correct and a face plate cut is very easy so putting a 7500 is is no hard task.

[g4cubed]

Thanks Hector. :D

[IJ Reilly]

IJ Reilly i know thats what you ment but what you said was that there were only three produced of that hight which is incorrect your point on them not being warrented is correct and a face plate cut is very easy so putting a 7500 is is no hard task.

A simple misunderstanding I suppose. I'm certainly aware that a number of other cards will fit, with modifications (some easy, many non-trivial). The point I was trying to make is that nobody is selling (or has sold) an out-of-the-box "Cube compatible" video card other than the three, original OEM boards from Apple. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that some cards were found to be unrealistic options for Cube because they're too long.