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what can you do with a G4 Cube?

P

proverbs

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 15, 2005
287
0
i just picked up a cube, and although its extremely cool, i don't know if i have any use for it. i currently have a 1.67 PB and use it at home and outside (work, school). the specs of the cube are:
450 mhz
256 mb Ram
DVD-Rom
16mb Video

any ideas on what i can use it for? :confused: (besides giving it away)
i was thinking to watch movies or play music, but i have all my music on my PB since i listen to iTunes everywhere i go. theres also the annoying HD noise which would ruin the movie or music experience. i really wanted to start learning how to make web sites, but i don't think a 16mb video card would be efficient if i were to install the macromedia software.
 
Makes a good childrens game computer. I'm talking sponge bob here.

Also makes a good tv. Get an eyetv 200 and hook it up to your tv.

Great garage computer to surf or inventory tools and junk and internet radio.

Use it just for finances off the net so nobody can get your files.

Or Pull out the guts and use if for a kleenex box. :)
 
Hey, we have approximately the same computers :D

Of course I use my pb more often, but so far the Cube makes an excellent secondary computer. I want to turn it into a media center device some time soon, as I already have an eyetv. But for now my girlfriend uses the Cube very often, as it is still way superior to her computer. It's also comforting to have another computer if somethings wrong with the pb, or it gets upgraded or something. I'd definitely up the ram in your Cube to at least 512 mb. For the media computer plan it's great yours already can play dvds, mine has the cd reader/burner drive. You can put it next to your tv and get rid of the whole stereo/dvdplayer etc. arrangement, don't know how your rooms look, but I got a huge 10 year old stereo that's not really working very good, an old dvd player and video recorder, all 5+ years old. I'll replace this big black plastic tower with the Cube once my girlfriend gets a newer computer sometime...

Don't know about your situation, but maybe my Cube thoughts help a little. Apart from that its main purpose can also be to just look so cool standing around!
 
Mine's slowly becoming a media centre :cool:

But yours can be anything. I recommend you upgrade it. First on the list should be RAM. PPCs fly with RAM. Then the Graphics Card (if possible get a GeForce 3). Remember that some cards are too big for the Cube without moving the VRM (the 2nd half of the PSU), and even then, some are too big. Then, a much bigger HDD (under 128GB, though. I know there's a firmware hack to get it to accept bigger drives, but I can't remember where). Then, the DVD drive, followed by a nice big processor (I want a PowerForce '57 Dual 1.3, but they cost $645 off OWC with the CubeOwner [www.cubeowner.com] money off :p) :D Be warned, though. That's not gonna run fanless forever, so you'll either have to give it a fan ( :eek: ) or the PowerLogix ClearCube case :cool: Should make it more than just "fit for the gal" ;)
 
I'm still using my almost stock G4 450 Cube as my primary desktop Mac and I do not suffer. A 7200 RPM drive is a useful upgrade (I like the Seagate Barracuda drives -- very quiet, perfect for the Cube). The original RagePro video card is a bit of a liability but it can be replaced too. I opted for a Radeon 7500, which can be had for under $50 and installs without modifications. It can power two monitors, including an ADC display.

Just this week I finally broke down and bought a Sonnet 1.7 Ghz processor upgrade for $365.00, which I've got every reason to believe will grant the Cube at least three more years of useful life as my primary desktop computer.

So don't put the Cube in the garage or relegate it to some undignified task. It deserves better!
 
the tv thing sounds cool, but my TV is pushed in the corner of my room and i only watch it at night before i go to bed. the HD thing sounds cool too, but i cant even fill my PB's 80 gigs.

do u guys think the cube is capable of designing and making websites. i was planning on installing some macromedia software on there.
 
proverbs said:
the tv thing sounds cool, but my TV is pushed in the corner of my room and i only watch it at night before i go to bed. the HD thing sounds cool too, but i cant even fill my PB's 80 gigs.

do u guys think the cube is capable of designing and making websites. i was planning on installing some macromedia software on there.
Click to expand...
i've used flash mx 2004 on a 450mhz PII or PIII (cant remember) and it was reasonably usable, so i'm sure it should be okay. (not my comp, my school's)
 
It's amazing to realize how useless the Cube design was and is. All show and no substance. Cue the music for the iMac G5s.
 
flash.jpg
 
proverbs said:
the tv thing sounds cool, but my TV is pushed in the corner of my room and i only watch it at night before i go to bed. the HD thing sounds cool too, but i cant even fill my PB's 80 gigs.

do u guys think the cube is capable of designing and making websites. i was planning on installing some macromedia software on there.
Click to expand...

Of course it is. Are you reading all of the responses to your question?
 
ahh, i had that very same Cube. i miss it every day. i was one of the very few who experienced absolutely no problems with mine either. what would i do with it today if i didn't foolishly sell it? i'd put it in the living room, no keyboard, mouse or monitor. use your latop as a nice little "remote control" and control the whole thing via VNC/Apple Remote Desktop. throw a nice big hard drive in there, Airport card and even a t.v. tuner card and it would be my home entertainment center. it can be your music jukebox pumping tunes throughout the home via Airport Express.

it can be your TiVo, recording scheduled T.V. while you're out of the house. being into AppleScript, i'd take it a step further and also make it my smart home controller. all you need is a handful of cheap X10 modules and a USB brick and you can easily automate your whole home! have lights turn on and off by themselves when you enter and leave rooms. make it look like people are home when you are away on vacation. anything that plugs into the wall can be controlled and automated.

the Cube would be perfect for this stuff, and it is very suitable for the living room since it is completely silent. it will just sit there being the hub and looking like a tissue box from the year 3000.
 
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