Editing Power Mac G4 Cube (section)

==Release and reception==
Rumors of a cube-shaped Apple computer leaked weeks in advance, and some sites posted purported pictures.<ref name="Macworld-10/2000" /> The G4 Cube was announced at [[Macworld/iWorld|Macworld Expo]] on July 19, 2000, as an end-of-show "[[one more thing]]". Jobs touted it as combining the power of the Power Mac G4 with a sleek design and miniaturization Apple learned from producing the iMac. Alongside the Cube, Apple introduced a new mouse, keyboard, and displays to complement the machine.<ref name="apple press-g4 announce">{{cite web|date=July 19, 2000|url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2000/07/19Apple-Introduces-Revolutionary/|title=Apple Introduces Revolutionary G4 Cube|publisher=Apple, Inc.|access-date=August 9, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728173521/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2000/07/19Apple-Introduces-Revolutionary/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The machine's size and looks were immediately divisive, which ''[[Macworld]]'' editor Andrew Gore took as an indication that Apple had succeeded in creating a cutting-edge product.<ref name="Macworld-10/2000" /> The design was a point of praise and of jokes, compared to a [[Borg]] cube, toasters, or a box of Kleenex tissues.<ref name="macaddict-050-resistance">{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=October 2001|url=https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-050-200010|title=Resistance is Futile|magazine=[[MacLife|MacAddict]]|publisher=Future US|issn=1088-548X|issue=50|pages=30–31}}</ref> Others compared it to the [[NeXTcube]].<ref name="Linzmayer-2004">{{cite book|last=Linzmayer|first=Owen|title=Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company|year=2004|publisher=No Starch Press|isbn=978-1-59327-010-0|page=209}}</ref> Ive and the design team were so amused by the comparison to a tissue box that they used spare Cube shells for that purpose in their studio.<ref name="Kahney-2014" />

Reviews were generally positive. Peter H. Lewis, writing for ''[[The New York Times]]'', called the computer the most attractive on the market, and that the machine, combined with Apple's displays and peripherals, created "desk sculpture".<ref name="nytimes-g4 cube review">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=Peter|date=August 31, 2000|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/31/technology/classic-beauty-cubed.html|title=State of the Art; Classic Beauty, Cubed|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 6, 2020}}</ref> ''PC Magazine Australia'' said that after changing the look of computers with the iMac, the G4 Cube had raised the bar for competitors even further.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=December 19, 2020|url=https://au.pcmag.com/first-looks-1/8520/apple-powermac-g4-cube|title=Apple PowerMac G4 Cube|website=PCMag Australia|access-date=November 10, 2020|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116025645/https://au.pcmag.com/first-looks-1/8520/apple-powermac-g4-cube|url-status=live|issn=1329-3532}}</ref> Gore called the Cube a work of art that felt more like sculpture than a piece of technology, but noted that one had to live with compromises made in the service of art.<ref name="macworld-g4 cube review" /> [[Walt Mossberg]], writing for ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', called it the "most gorgeous personal computer" that he had ever seen.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mossberg|first1=Walt|author1-link=Walt Mossberg|title=Apple Unveils a Sleek PC In the New Power Mac G4|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB970098817594267234|access-date=September 26, 2021|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=September 28, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125233953/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB970098817594267234 |archive-date=November 25, 2020|url-access=subscription|url-status=live}}</ref>

Critics noted that to get easy access to plug and unplug peripherals, users must tip the entire machine—risking accidental sleep activation or dropping the smooth plastic computer entirely.<ref name="popular mechanics-cube review" /><ref name="arstechnica-g4 cube review" /> ''Macworld'' found the touch-sensitive power button too sensitive and they accidentally activated sleep mode regularly. They reported that the stock 5400-rpm hard drive and 64&nbsp;MB of RAM on the base model slowed the system considerably.<ref name="macworld-g4 cube review">{{cite web|last=Gore|first=Andrew|date=July 31, 2020|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1014419/25reviewscube.html|title=Capsule Review: Power Mac G4 Cube|website=[[Macworld]]|publisher=IDG|access-date=November 10, 2020|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116222613/https://www.macworld.com/article/1014419/25reviewscube.html|url-status=live|issn=0741-8647}}</ref><ref name="macworld-g4 cube labs">{{cite web|last=Loyola|first=Gil|date=August 22, 2020|url=https://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/22/cube.lab.report.idg/index.html|title=Lab report: Cube scores low compared to other Power Mac G4s|website=[[CNN]]|publisher=[[Macworld]]|access-date=November 10, 2020|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226130854/https://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/22/cube.lab.report.idg/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Cube won several international design awards on release,<ref name="ogrady-2009">{{cite book|last=O'Grady|first=Jason|year=2009|title=Apple Inc.|publisher=[[ABC-Clio]]|isbn=978-0-313-36244-6|pages=103–104}}</ref> and ''[[PC Magazine]]''{{'}}s best desktop computer for its Technical Innovation Awards.<ref name="con-best computer awards g4cube">{{cite web|author=MacWorld Staff|date=December 21, 2000|url=https://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/12/21/cube.best.desktop.idg/index.html|title=Cube scoops kudos from PC Magazine|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040806052030/http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/12/21/cube.best.desktop.idg/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The G4 Cube and its peripherals were acquired and showcased by [[The Museum of Modern Art]] alongside other Apple products,<ref>{{cite web|last=Patton|first=Phil|date=August 16, 2001|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/16/technology/news-watch-design-the-apple-cube-entered-the-museum-as-it-exited-stores.html|title=News Watch: Design; The Apple Cube Entered The Museum as It Exited Stores|website=[[The New York Times]]|page=G3|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025627/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/16/technology/news-watch-design-the-apple-cube-entered-the-museum-as-it-exited-stores.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a Cube is also held in the collections of the [[American Museum of Natural History]] and [[Powerhouse Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1292747|title=Apple PowerMac G4 Cube Microcomputer, CPU|website=American Museum of Natural History|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=June 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/460212|title=Apple Power Mac G4 Cube Computer with Accessories|website=Powerhouse Museum|publisher=New South Wales Government|access-date=June 26, 2024}}</ref>

===Sales===
The introduction of the Cube did not fit with the focused product lineup Jobs had introduced since his return to Apple, leaving it without a clear audience.<ref name="wired-20 years ago g4 cube">{{cite magazine|author=Levy, Steven|authorlink=Steven Levy|date=July 24, 2020|url=https://www.wired.com/story/20-years-ago-steve-jobs-built-the-coolest-computer-ever-it-bombed/|title=20 Years Ago, Steve Jobs Built the 'Coolest Computer Ever.' It Bombed|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|publisher=Condé Nast Publications|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001748/https://www.wired.com/story/20-years-ago-steve-jobs-built-the-coolest-computer-ever-it-bombed/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was as expensive as a similarly equipped Power Mac, but without extra room for more storage or PCI slots. It was likewise much more expensive than an upgraded consumer iMac.<ref name="arstechnica-macworld 2000 wrapup">{{cite web|author=Siracusa, John|date=July 28, 2000|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2000/07/macworld-expo-ny-2000/|title=MacWorld Expo NY 2000|website=[[Ars Technica]]|publisher=Condé Nast Publications|pages=1–8|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=March 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304161519/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2000/07/macworld-expo-ny-2000/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jobs imagined that creative professionals and designers would want one, and that the product was so great that it would inform buying patterns.<ref name="wired-20 years ago g4 cube" />

Sales for the Cube were much lower than expected. Returning from the brink of bankruptcy, Apple had eleven profitable quarters before the Cube's announcement,<ref name="newsweek-cube">{{cite web|author=Levy, Steven|authorlink=Steven Levy|date=July 30, 2000|url=https://www.newsweek.com/thinking-inside-box-161537|title=Thinking Inside The Box|work=[[Newsweek]]|publisher=The Washington Post Company|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004190802/https://www.newsweek.com/thinking-inside-box-161537|url-status=live}}</ref> but Apple's end-of-year financials for 2000 missed predicted revenues by $180{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="macaddict-053" /> Part of the drop in profit was attributed to the Cube, with only one third as many units sold as Apple had expected, creating a $90{{nbsp}}million shortfall in revenue targets. The Cube counted for 29,000 of the Macs Apple shipped in the quarter, compared to 308,000 iMacs. Retailers had excess product, leaving Apple with a large amount of unsold inventory heading into 2001 it had expected to last until March. The computer appealed to high-end customers who wanted a small and sleek design, but Jobs admitted that audience was smaller than expected.<ref name="macaddict-053">{{cite magazine|author=Sammis, Ian|date=January 2001|url=https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-053-200101/mode/2up|title=Get Info; Too Many Cubes|magazine=[[MacLife|MacAddict]]|publisher=Future US|issn=1088-548X|issue=53|page=14}}</ref><ref name="cnet-g4 cube expectations">{{cite web|date=January 2, 2002|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-we-expected-to-sell-3-times-more-cubes/|title=Apple: We expected to sell 3 times more Cubes|website=[[CNET]]|publisher=RedVenture|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918114618/https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-we-expected-to-sell-3-times-more-cubes/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2001, Apple lowered the price on the 500&nbsp;MHz model and added new memory, hard drive, and graphics options.<ref name="cnn-G4 cube drop">{{cite web|last=Gibson|first=Brad|date=February 7, 2001|url=https://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/02/07/cube.price.cut.idg/index.html|title=Apple lowers price of G4 Cube|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=February 10, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210103850/http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/02/07/cube.price.cut.idg/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These updates made little difference, and sales continued to decline. In the first quarter of 2001, only 12,000{{nbsp}}units were sold,<ref name="Macworld-cube 10th anniversary">{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|date=August 12, 2010|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1153341/cube-10thanniversary.html|title=The Cube at 10: Why Apple's eye-catching desktop flopped|website=[[Macworld]]|publisher=IDG|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112032405/https://www.macworld.com/article/1153341/cube-10thanniversary.html|url-status=live|issn=0741-8647}}</ref> representing just 1.6% of the company's total computer sales.<ref name="nytimes-cube on ice" />

In addition to the product's high price, the Cube suffered cosmetic issues. Early buyers noticed cracks caused by the injection-molded plastic process. The idea of a design-focused product having aesthetic flaws turned into a negative public relations story for Apple, and dissuaded potential buyers for whom the design was its main appeal.<ref name="Kahney-2014" /><ref name="arstechnica-g4 cube review">{{cite web|author=Siracusa, John|date=October 1, 2000|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2000/10/g4-cube/|title=G4 Cube & Cinema Display|website=[[Ars Technica]]|publisher=Condé Nast Publications|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917151835/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2000/10/g4-cube/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Macworld-cube 10th anniversary" /> The Cube's radical departure from a conventional personal computer alienated potential buyers, and exacerbated Apple's struggles in the market competing with the performance of Windows PCs. ''Macworld''{{'}}s Benj Edwards wrote that consumers treated the Cube as "an underpowered, over-expensive toy or [...] an emotionally inaccessible, ultra-geometric gray box suspended in an untouchable glass prison".<ref name="Macworld-cube 10th anniversary" /> The lack of internal expansion and reliance on less-common USB and FireWire peripherals also hurt the computer's chances of success.<ref name="macworld-g4 cube ahead of its time" />

Jobs clearly loved the computer,<ref name="wired-20 years ago g4 cube" /> but was quick to discontinue the underperforming product. On July 3, 2001, an Apple press release made the unusual statement that the computer—rather than being canceled or discontinued—was having its production "suspended indefinitely", due to low demand. Apple did not rule out an upgraded Cube model in the future, but considered it unlikely.<ref name="nytimes-cube on ice">{{cite web|author=Gaither, Chris|date=July 4, 2001|title=Apple Will Halt Production Of Its Cube-Shaped Computer|website=[[The New York Times]]|page=C6|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/business/apple-will-halt-production-of-its-cube-shaped-computer.html|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-date=April 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410144937/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/business/apple-will-halt-production-of-its-cube-shaped-computer.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Business journalist [[Karen Blumenthal]] called the Cube the first big failure by Jobs since his return to Apple.<ref name="Blumenthal-2012">{{cite book|last=Blumenthal|first=Karen|authorlink=Karen Blumenthal|year=2012|title=Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different|publisher=Square Fish|isbn=978-1-250-01461-0|pages=204–205}}</ref> Jobs's ability to quickly move on the mistake left the Cube a "blip" in Apple's history, according to Segall—a quickly forgotten failure among other successful innovations.<ref name="Segall-2012" />