EEVblog #1211 - Apple's Most Beautiful Failure

[EEVblog]

Why did Apple's most beautiful product fail?
A look at the Apple PowerMac G4 Cube designed by Jonathan Ive.
A teardown and power-up.

[darik]

And now all they do is make stuff thin, expensive, and impossible to fix.

It breaks my goddamn heart how far apple has fallen.

[mc172]

The thumbnail though...

[EEVblog]

BTW, I'm now using my 95 CRI Aputure studio lights to light my talking head shots and the bench shots as well, let me know if you see an improvement over previous videos.

[sibeen]

BTW, I'm now using my 95 CRI Aputure studio lights to light my talking head shots and the bench shots as well, let me know if you see an improvement over previous videos.

Nah, no improvement, your head is still showing

[EEVblog]

BTW, I'm now using my 95 CRI Aputure studio lights to light my talking head shots and the bench shots as well, let me know if you see an improvement over previous videos.

Nah, no improvement, your head is still showing

I'll pay that 

[MT]

So much engineering efforts to so many products , so much life time spent on so many marketing failures there are!

[Bud]

For suspending computers in the air Jony Ive should learn from IBM.

[Towger]

They suffered from the cracks forming in the acrylic at the two top screws.  I am surprised yours has none after 19 years, maybe they fixed it in later versions.

[3roomlab]

BTW, I'm now using my 95 CRI Aputure studio lights to light my talking head shots and the bench shots as well, let me know if you see an improvement over previous videos.

I think the white point is shifting around. sometimes its greener, sometimes its redder depending on what is at the center of shot.

[HwAoRrDk]

The Apple of today would have an aneurysm over that spring-loaded handle that gives such easy access to the internals of the machine. "What?!! Allow the end users to service and upgrade the product? Wharrgarbllffjhjhdd..."

[SteveyG]

Now give it the Fluke 28 treatment.

[EEVblog]

BTW, I'm now using my 95 CRI Aputure studio lights to light my talking head shots and the bench shots as well, let me know if you see an improvement over previous videos.

I think the white point is shifting around. sometimes its greener, sometimes its redder depending on what is at the center of shot.

Shouldn't be, I'm shooting with a fixed white balance.

[Bud]

I did not notice a measurable difference... Perhaps it may be more pronounced in specific cases.

[Bud]

The cubizm trend never picked up in consumer computer design, did it? To my taste it is not visually apealling at all. Also acrylic is easily scratched.

[thm_w]

So $2,670 in todays dollars ($1,799), the equivalent G4 tower was $1,599 and faster ones came out shortly after.
You were essentially paying $300 more, for a cooler looking smaller box, with less upgradeability.

Design is great though.

[tooki]

So $2,670 in todays dollars ($1,799), the equivalent G4 tower was $1,599 and faster ones came out shortly after.
You were essentially paying $300 more, for a cooler looking smaller box, with less upgradeability.

Design is great though.

Exactly. I was working as an on-site Mac tech (indie, not for Apple) at the time, and what I witnessed was that companies (ad agencies, design bureaus, etc) would buy the G4 cube for the receptionist (so the company would look hip for visitors) and perhaps for executives, while actual designers would get the G4 minitowers.

[tooki]

The Apple of today would have an aneurysm over that spring-loaded handle that gives such easy access to the internals of the machine. "What?!! Allow the end users to service and upgrade the product? Wharrgarbllffjhjhdd..."

Well, then apparently they just had a cardiovascular event, since the new Mac Pro has a cover that lifts off with a little handle, exposing all the slots and modules inside! :p