Originally posted by Hemingray
I think the biggest thing they have in common is cramming a lot of stuff into a relatively small area, and lack of expandability as a cost of that. Designs get improved over time as we all know, but the cube never got that chance. The iMac, however, I can easily see being revised over the next few years in terms of hardware/port positioning and access, easier expandability, etc. Just like the original iMac.
In the Rev.A iMac you had to practically take the damn thing apart just to get to the RAM. If memory serves (no pun intended ), they made that task easier in later models.
The cube was ahead of its time. In five years it will be in the same boat as the Newton, the Macintosh Portable, and some might even say the QuickTake.
You are correct in what has to be done to install/replace memory in the iMacs (pre-slot load). I did one last week, where you have to turn it over, pull one screw, remove the bottom housing/cover. Then pull two more screws, remove the cables (three) and then pull out the entire guts of the computer. You then have to remove a thin metal cover and heat sink before getting to where the memory is. Even then, you only have access to one slot, you have to remove the processor to get at the other one.
On the slot load iMac's, all the way up to the newest version it is easier. Just turn it over, use a quarter to open the hatch and put the memory in. Takes all of a few minutes to install, and then restart.
The new iMac, has screws that need to be pulled again to install more memory, and even more if you want to go to 1GB of RAM.
I still look forward to the day that we get the new iMac's at work... I just wonder when that will be.