Apple pulls plug on Cube to make way for new-look iMac
Production of the Power Mac G4 Cube has been stopped. The product, touted
by Apple last July as ´an entirely new class of computer´, will be removed
from the Apple product line.
Highly reliable sources have reported that lacklustre sales and a new iMac
design, which would put into question the Cube´s product positioning, are
among the reasons for the product´s demise.
Sources within Apple confirmed the Cube will be replaced by a totally
redesigned iMac with a flat-panel LCD display at the upcoming Macworld
Expo in New York on 17 July. One insider said: ´When you see the new iMac,
you´ll understand why the Cube is gone.´
Macuser.co.uk reported three months ago that the Cube´s development team
had been disbanded but Jobs later denied this. Production of the eight
inch Cube with its crystal-clear case stopped in late April, one source
said.
Apple dealers have reported poor availability of the Cube from
distributors over the past two months. Worldwide distributor Ingram Micro
has no Cubes in stock and company representatives have confirmed they will
not be receiving any more units. However, Cubes, in their different
configurations, are still available through the online Apple Store.
At its debut last July at Macworld Expo New York, Apple CEO Steve Jobs
said: ´The G4 Cube is simply the coolest computer ever.´ But despite its
stylish looks, the machine never became a hit with customers who were
confused by its positioning in the Mac product family and thought it too
expensive and not very expandable.
In February Jobs informed financial analysts ´The Cube has found a
definite market. The disappointment to us was the market wasn´t as big as
we thought.´ Based on quarterly sales figures, Apple sold a little less
than 200,000 Cubes since its debut, generating less than $250m. This
compares with the iMac, its consumer counterpart, which sold five million
units in less than three years.
Last September, Apple fended off criticism that the Cube was marred by
hair-thin cracks in its casing, claiming they were blemishes formed
through the normal course of manufacturing. As the Cube began to suffer
from poor sales, Apple turned to rebates, offering 250 off a Cube with a
monitor. In February Apple introduced a new model at a lower price point
with the addition of a CD-rewriteable drive. In neither case did Cube
sales dramatically rise
