Photo: Binarysequence / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
Power Mac G4 Cube
A silent G4 suspended in a clear acrylic cube.
Overview
The Power Mac G4 Cube was Steve Jobs's favorite kind of object: a computer with no fan, no visible screws and no switches, hanging inside a clear polycarbonate cube. A slot-loading optical drive sat on top, controlled by a touch-sensitive power button, and all connectors lived underneath.
It ran a 450 or 500 MHz PowerPC G4 with 64 MB or more of memory and a 20 or 30 GB hard drive. Expansion was limited to memory and the graphics card, and audio came from the Harman Kardon speakers included in the box.
The price premium over a regular tower and reports of hairline cracks in the plastic hurt sales. Apple suspended production in July 2001 after only about 150,000 had been sold, yet the design influenced the Mac mini and the Mac Studio.
Why it mattered
It remains a design icon, in museum collections, and a forerunner of Apple's later compact desktops.
At a glance
- Announced
- July 19, 2000
- Released
- July 19, 2000
- Discontinued
- July 3, 2001
- Launch price
- $1,799
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC G4, 450 MHz
- Storage
- 20 GB hard disk
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Fanless convection cooling, silent in use
- Clear acrylic enclosure on a base
- Slot-loading optical drive, touch power button
- Held in the permanent collection of MoMA
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC G4, 450 or 500 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 64 MB (base), up to 1.5 GB
- Storage options
- 20 or 30 GB hard disk; slot-loading CD-RW or DVD-ROM
Graphics
- GPU
- ATI Rage 128 Pro (base)
Ports
- Ports
- 2 USB 1.1, 2 FireWire 400, Ethernet, video out via VGA or ADC
Design
- Dimensions
- 25 x 20 x 20 cm (9.8 x 7.7 x 7.7 in)
- Weight
- 6.4 kg (14 lb)
- Cooling
- Fanless
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS 9
Availability
- Announced
- July 19, 2000
- Released
- July 19, 2000
- Discontinued
- July 3, 2001
- Launch price
- $1,799
Colors
- Finishes
- Silver, Clear
How it compares
More in the Power Mac G4 family
Power Mac G4 (PCI Graphics)
The first G4 desktop, billed as a supercomputer on your desk.
Power Mac G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
Gigabit Ethernet as a standard feature, plus the first dual-G4 tower.
Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver)
A silver, restyled G4 tower with a clean new case.
Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)
The loud, dual-processor G4 with two drive doors on the front.