Power Mac G4 Cube (2000)

Power Mac G4 Cube: a compact, quiet proposition between iMac and towers, not a cut-down tower chassis.

Specs

Launch and context

Announced on July 19, 2000 with availability planned for early August. Original 450 MHz configuration: PowerPC G4, 64 MB RAM expandable to 1.5 GB, 20 GB disk and top slot-loading DVD. Apple offered 500 MHz and 40 GB options. [cube-launch]

How Apple presented it

Transparent design and fanless convection cooling defined the pitch. Apple included Pro Keyboard, optical mouse and Harman Kardon speakers; display chosen separately. Two FireWire, two USB, Ethernet 10/100 and 56 K modem. Historical US prices: $1799 at 450 MHz or $2299 at 500 MHz. On July 3, 2001 Apple indefinitely suspended production, saying most customers chose minitowers. Not a safety-recall announcement. [cube-launch, cube-end]

Documented issues

Plastic marks prompted complaints in 2000. The Register reported that Apple described them as mold lines rather than cracks or weakness. The article challenges that response but does not establish universal heat-induced cracking. Assessing a collectible example requires inspection of the casing, external power supply and operation. Historical sources do not establish current repair availability. The image is a previously processed derivative credited to photographer and editor; it does not identify CPU frequency. [cube-lines, cube-image]

Sources

• cube-end · Apple, Cube production suspended · https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2001/07/03Apple-Puts-Power-Mac-G4-Cube-on-Ice/
• cube-image · Wikimedia Commons, PowerMac G4 Cube.jpg · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PowerMac_G4_Cube.jpg
• cube-launch · Apple, Apple Introduces G4 Cube · https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2000/07/19Apple-Introduces-Revolutionary/
• cube-lines · The Register, Apple denies Cube is cracking · https://www.theregister.com/2000/09/29/apple_denies_cube_is_cracking

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Updated: October 25, 2026 · Compare this product