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G5 Cube is Possible!

neonart

neonart

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 4, 2002
1,066
67
Near a Mac since 1993.
I remember just a few months ago I argued with other members here about weather or not Apple could make a smaller headless G5 based machine in the realm of $999.
While I don't think Apple has any plans for this, after seeing the new iMac, I'm very confident that if Apple wanted to release a small form factor G5 at under $1K, it could!

Why do I even bring this up? Well, It's just a wish I guess.

Would it not be absolutely cool if a G5 cube (not necessarily 8x8) was available with the same specs as the 1.6 G5 iMac, but with no monitor for less than a grand! Think of all the PC users that would drool over such a machine!

Oh well...
 
Here is a cool photo that was floating around a few weeks ago:
 

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I for one like the idea of a sub $1000 G5 cube, and I agree that a ton of PC users would as well. Will it happen? Probably not, but I always like to be surprised.

d
 
neonart said:
Not saying that there is any proof of anything coming out. Just that technologically it's possible at the price I mentioned.
Click to expand...

I always liked the cube... never had one though. If a G5 cube came out, I'd be psyched. :)
 
I was walking across campus today and a guy walked by me in a G4 Cube shirt. It made me wish Apple put out a new cube... and a G5 is exactly what I'd want it to be. I would snap one up for sub-$1k and setup a KVM on one of my LCDs. :)
 
How about a G5 cube with a built in USB/DVI (and maybe VGA, or just run that through the analog parts of the DVI) KVM? Everyone would want one then -- a few hundred bucks and a few square inches of desk space for the power of a 64-bit Unix workstation to be one push of a button away at all times.
 
I think the Cube was a failure because it had prosumer appeal on the hardware side, but no software and they marketed it as a PowerMac. Consumers want a reasonable bundle of software!

I think if they reintroduced the Cube (or something similar) as a consumer/prosumer alternative to the imac, with all the software of the imac, they'd be successful.
 
It's possible... but that doesn't mean that Apple will make one. And with the right product strategy it could be a success. But why? The new iMac is a prosumer machine, which is well designed, attractive to the eye, and is compact, taking up little desktop space (even less than the Cube). There's no way that the Cube is superior to the new iMac (except for nostalgic longtime Mac users). I'm not in any way degrading the Cube. I own one and think that it was superbly designed. But the iMac beats the Cube at its own game, compactness and desgin, and will be marketed as a midlevel consumer machine and a good price.
 
I too believe the cube to be a possibility, but the fact remains, will Apple release a PowerMac G5 Cube? The answer, probably not. The form factor is perfect, and if coloured similarly similar to the 'iPod/iMac' (white) and the iPod Mini/PowerMac Mini (coloured) than i could see some sense in the purchase of one. If this happens, and a 2.0 ghz G5 is put in a small form factor, the computer would sell better than the ill fated (but beautiful) G4 Cube.
 
neonart said:
Not saying that there is any proof of anything coming out. Just that technologically it's possible at the price I mentioned.
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting to see someone show how a cube is possible. The iMac G5 is considerably larger than the original iMac, when you get down to internal volume, and it has a custom cooling system that uses blowthrough fans. There's also the other issues I've repeatedly harped on: lowered bus, single-channel RAM, lower-end graphics, and so on.

Solve these and I'll believe it, but there's no reason to believe a cheap, headless G5 is all that credible.
 
the g5 imac uses three variable-speed fans, which is not so much that it couldn't be handled with passive cooling. that (heat) is the only reason why cube might not be possible, but it seems they have it under control now, so it must be possible.

space is not an issue, they can put in all required parts in a 12" laptop so it's a piece of cake to put the same parts in a relatively (compared to a laptop) huge cube.

it's just that i don't think steve wants to do it. unless they drop emac and replace it with a cube :)
 
The G5 cube should be the 20th anniversary mac ...

Steve, we're waiting, give us the G5 cube and do not forget the Colors ...

Ohh! One more thing...

Pls., Tell Phil that the iPod mini comes with a 4GB drive , not 5 ;) ...
 
jasonwood said:
I think the Cube was a failure because it had prosumer appeal on the hardware side, but no software and they marketed it as a PowerMac. Consumers want a reasonable bundle of software!

I think if they reintroduced the Cube (or something similar) as a consumer/prosumer alternative to the imac, with all the software of the imac, they'd be successful.
Click to expand...
The Cube was a failure because it was too expensive. It broke Apple's philosophy of style and substance, oodles of style but too little substance for the target market. Having said that I recently purchased a second-hand cube and they've certainly held their value, presumably being now something of a collectable.

But I believe there is a market for a G5 Cube at an appropriate price. I would speculate there is a huge audience of consumers and professionals who would jump at the chance to buy a Cube they could hang a couple of displays off, or no displays if like me you want a compact server, hence my recent Cube purchase.

Speculating further, the corporate world thrives on machines like the HP ultraslim desktop but is unlikely to buy iMacs or PowerMacs for the same role. Given Apple's stated intent to make inroads into the corporate environment there must be a compact desktop in their product plans, a G5 Cube would be the perfect combination of performance, price, and style. Perhaps the dearth of G5 chips has impacted the introduction of such a machine.
 
JFreak said:
the g5 imac uses three variable-speed fans, which is not so much that it couldn't be handled with passive cooling. that (heat) is the only reason why cube might not be possible, but it seems they have it under control now, so it must be possible.

space is not an issue, they can put in all required parts in a 12" laptop so it's a piece of cake to put the same parts in a relatively (compared to a laptop) huge cube.
Click to expand...
I think you should probably forget about passive cooling. I think pretty much all upgrades for the existing Cube include a cooling fan. Certainly the 1.25GHz G4 I've got in my one has a fan. Space is definitely an issue, sure they can put all the required parts for a G4 laptop into a 12" PB but that is not a consumer machine. Putting a G5 plus components into a Cube enclosure at a reasonable retail price is not a piece of cake.
 
maybe it could replace the current Emac, the small footprint would be great for schools and the fact that it is headless and could be put i a cabinet under a desk so people dont try to stick paperclips in slot loading drives would be a bonus. They would be the perfect education mac and i think they would sell well.
 
Seems to me that they listened to all the Headless Mac crap on the forums, and gave us a Computerless Screen.

The Headless Mac is called PowerMac G5 :)
 
AmigoMac said:
The G5 cube should be the 20th anniversary mac ...
Click to expand...

No no, the 20th anniversary should be a G5 iMac SE special edition which simply would be an Alu version with upgradeable graphics ... that's the machine I'd buy. :cool:
 
slowtreme said:
The Headless Mac is called PowerMac G5 :)
Click to expand...

The reference to headless mac people wanting a lower priced desktop system with specs similar to the iMac. Back in the day, they called it the Performa line - I was a true blue 6400 owner :eek: Although,I would love to see a desktop system in the $500-$900 range, I don't think it will happen until people stop buying the eMac/iMac

When did the term desktop become headless anyway?

Like the million other people, I would love to see a G5 cube that is low cost. :) Personally I love that mockup.
 
slowtreme said:
Seems to me that they listened to all the Headless Mac crap on the forums, and gave us a Computerless Screen.

The Headless Mac is called PowerMac G5 :)
Click to expand...

True. And if you hunt around, you can still find the 1.6 single processor Power Mac G5s as low as $1,299. They had some at that price at Fry's for a while before they sold out and Apple has refurbished ones in their special deals section of the online store from time to time as well.
 
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