Power Mac G4 Cube

There have been many versions of the Mac computer, from the original beige Apple II to the grayish Macintosh Classic to the see-through iMac 3G. But one design stands out from the rest: the Power Mac G4 Cube.

The desktop computer had the most futuristic look of any of Apple’s computer thanks to Apple’s former CDO Jony Ive. The Cube housed all of the computer’s inner workings and was encased in acrylic glass. It had a built-in speaker and used a convection-based cooling system to keep the components from overheating. It wasn’t an all-in-one system: the monitor connected separately, along with a set of Harman Kardon transparent speakers.

But the design had flaws. The casing would easily show manufacturing flaws (called “mold lines”) that resembled cracks, ruining the cube’s overall appearance.

The components were also troublesome. While you could easily remove the Cube, you couldn’t easily upgrade it: there were no PCI slots. It also didn’t come with a monitor: that was available at an extra cost.

The Power Mac G4 Cube didn’t see huge sales, and whether it was due to its odd design or because of its steep price tag is anyone’s guess. Apple stopped making the Power Mac G4 Cube in July 2001, only one year after it hit the market.