Why did they kill the cube?

[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, 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, 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 (http://www.powerlogix.com) or a vrm relocation (pop over to http://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]

My cracked cube

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.

 

[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 http://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