Apple's $600 G3 Cube

[rice_web]

I was just thinking, what would be nice to have, that's inexpensive, practical, and necessary in today's world? Well, aside from a microwave oven, I was thinking of a G3 Cube from Apple.

I could just see it now. "Apple unveils the Cube 2, sporting a G3 processor and sells for $499," the websites would boast. With a monitor, the thing would sell for $1098 (with an Apple 15" LCD). I could actually see this as a great product from Apple. It could be equipped with a low-end Radeon graphics card, 128 RAM, a 20GB hard drive, an 800MHz G3 750FX from IBM, and Apple Pro Speakers. Just plop in a DVD-ROM and it would be set. A low-cost OS X compatible computer, with support for both an Airport card and 1GB of RAM. Sure, Apple would likely make little on the sale of this computer, but when consumers plop down the money for an LCD, Apple can easily afford this.

Apple would have a low-cost computer that would appeal to those consumers with a shoe-string budget. Along with the release of Apollo G4's, I could actually see this as a possibility. If Apple releases a G5, count it out.

 

[eyelikeart]

both a good & bad idea...

it could be a very low cost option for Mac users....but why even bother at this point? OS X runs much better on a G4 processor & we're about to be taken into the G5 era....it would be selling an obsolete product at a cheap price...I don't think Apple can afford to put energy into a project such as that.....but a nice effort!

 

[Mike Gagne]

G3 cube?

The light should turn off on that idea......

Eyelikeart, I agree with you. It would be a step backward and Apple is too progressive these days to do that. Nice graphic signature by the way......

Aloha

 

[IndyGopher]

Apple will need to make an impact (good one, that is) with the new iMac's different-looking form factor before it can consider making another "funny-looking" computer. I think the new iMac will be a smash hit, of course, but I am no one's idea of a non-biased observer. With enough of a hit with the new iMac, then, possibly, Apple could get away with another Cube. Or other geometrically interesting shape.

To release one now would just bring a flood of crap about how Apple has had to recycle ideas... "Think Same" .. "Think Again" .. "Think Been There, Done That"

Personally, I would rather see Apple release a driveless ThinClient in a flat panel to add to existing Mac networks. Just a screen, and a keyboard with a built-in trackball. Would probably need to wait for faster wireless networking, though, or it would be dog-slow. Or throw in a laptop-sized hard drive to boot from... any updates would be across the network, or with an iPod used as a portable firewire hard drive. Make it cheap enough, and you could put one in every bedroom.

 

[Durandal7]

The iMac would kill all of it's sales. You would have a G3 Cube for 600 plus at least another 500 for a monitor,or you could get a G4 with a monitor for 1299.

 

[Omen88]

I bet it'd cost more to replace those motherboards with a G3 than actually leaving the G4 on it.

 

[voicegy]

On a shoestring budget?

Heck, if anyone approaches me with the desire to get into the Mac world of computers and wants to spend as little as possible, I'll just point 'em to the CRT iMac.

I'm in the Educational Technology Dept. of San Diego Unified, where we make recommendations and decisions regarding district technology, and our classrooms are predominantly Apple. (wonder why?)

As the 8th largest district in the US, we, like many other districts, have expressed mild concern about the iLamp, because of cost. Apple, in a very smart move, revamped the CRT iMacs and kept the prices (500 MHz @ $699.00) very reasonable. After an enourmous amount of work by Apple "winning back" the education market, they're not about to blow it by saying "Hi Educators! Happy New Year! Our cheapest computers just went up 500 bucks. Enjoy!"

I feel they still have somewhat of a commitment to this model, not only for the education market. As to exactly how long, I'm waiting to hear back from my Apple contacts. My guess would be for, oh, say another 6 months, which would be just fine for schools (from $699.00), and the buying public (from $799.00), on a budget.

Scott