Interestingly, the same SFGate’s article quoted above, closes with this bit: I said it multiple times already, and I’ll say it again: in my opinion, the main reason for the Cube’s failure was not design-related, but marketing-related. Even more successful lines, such as the iMac, saw a drop from Q1 2000 to Q1 2001. Ok, sales were decent just for a quarter, and in the next quarter they were undoubtedly disappointing, but looking at the table, it wasn’t such a great period for Mac sales overall. If you look at Q4 2000 sales in the first table, you’ll see for example that the G4 Cube sold more than the iBook and PowerBook lines. To have a more detailed idea of how Macs were selling during that time period, and to put the Cube’s sales more in perspective, I unearthed this old Macworld article (the link is through ’s WayBack Machine - it may be a bit slow to load). Previously, however, the company told analysts it had sold 12,000 units in the fiscal quarter ended in March, down from 29,000 units the previous quarter, and bringing its lifetime total to 148,000 units. The Cupertino-based computer maker refused to give sales figures or other details Tuesday. This article, published by SFGate in J(after Apple announced it would suspend production of the Cube), talks about 148,000 units sold during the entire Cube lifetime (July 2000 – July 2001): Now, if you consider the number of units sold during the Cube’s (short) lifetime, it’s hard to paint this machine as a success. While leaving the door open for a possible reintroduction of the enclosure, Apple quickly and quietly let the world forget the disappointing failure of the G4 Cube. The PowerMac G4 Cube was never officially discontinued, but in July 2001 Apple suspended production of the Cube indefinitely. Finally, the high-end version got a 60 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, a CD-RW drive and an 32 MB NVIDIA GeForce2 MX video card, and sold for $2199. A “better” configuration was made available, with a CD-RW drive and 128 MB of RAM, for $1599. The low-end configuration was repriced at $1299. In February 2001, The cube received a feature and price change. In december the low-end configuration received a price cut to $1499. The consensus was that Apple had misjudged the market, making the Cube an expensive “luxury” computer instead of a cheaper monitor-less iMac. The Cube was not nearly the success that Apple had hoped it would be. Gigabit Ethernet was available as a BTO option. Another configuration was available through the Apple Store, with a 500 MHz G4, a 30 GB hard drive and 128 MB of RAM, for $2299.
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The Cube shipped to retail markets with a 450 MHz G4 processor, a 20 GB hard drive, a 56 kbps modem, 64 MB of RAM, and Apple’s Pro Mouse, for $1799. Shortcomings aside, the Cube was a remarkable feat of engineering, crammed inside an elegant case.
The amplifier had a standard mini-plug headphone output, but there was no mic included, and having USB as the only sound-input option was considered limiting by many. Instead, it came with an external USB amplifier and a set of Harman Kardon speakers. One gripe many people had with the Cube was its lack of conventional Audio input and output. With the exception of PCI expansion, the Cube was as versatile as its larger G4 cousin: Three RAM slots, an AirPort slot, and two USB and FireWire ports. The Cube traded expandability for its diminutive size: There were no PCI slots, and while the Graphics was fit into an 2x AGP slot, there wasn’t room for full-length AGP cards. The G4 Cube was a foray into the business market, as well as an answer to those who wanted an iMac-like machine, with more choice in monitors. Housed in an 8x8x8 cube, the G4 Cube combined the elegance of the iMac with the power of the PowerMac G4. Guess which Mac invariably receives a mention? The Cube, of course.Īpple History’s G4 Cube page sums up the Cube’s history pretty well:Īnnounced in July 2000, the PowerMac G4 Cube introduced a dramatic new case design. Periodically, some article pops up talking about the fact that not every product created by Apple has been a success.
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