rockpaperink

October 19, 2012

Power Mac G4 Cube

Apple, 2000

Authors: William Lidwell, Gerry Manacsa

Topic: Product Design

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A minimalist descendent of the NeXTcube computer, the G4 Cube followed the colorful line of iMac computers in heralding the return of Steve Jobs and good design sensibilities to Apple. The computer was not only unique in terms of form and material, it was very small relative to its computing counterparts and featured a number of engineering and usability innovations. Steve Jobs comments: "This is a stunning product. Quite possibly the most beautiful product we have ever designed. The computer is in an eight-inch cube. It's suspended in a stunning crystal clear enclosure … Amazing cooling system through a center channel that cools the whole thing with air so that it runs in virtual silence and … allows you to get at every component in just seconds." Per its namesake, the computer is cubical in shape, though if you consider the outer case, it is rectangular in profile. To designers, the Cube looks like a work of modern art. To nondesigners, it looks like a toaster, complete with a top-mounted DVD player to complete the effect. The toaster-like appearance is a problem, undermining the image of the Cube as a serious, high-end computer. Additionally, highly symmetric forms such as cubes tend to be perceived as aesthetically pleasing but generally uninteresting — to everyone but modernists, that is. In one study, for example, researchers gave users blocks of foam in various shapes and surveyed their preferences. The result was that users favored "dramatic" shapes in which at least one dimension was very different from the others. This suggests that in terms of mass-market form factor preferences, asymmetry typically trumps symmetry, and may explain, in concert with its toaster-like persona, the failure of the computer. The On/Off button is the only visible control of the computer — a small painted icon on the top surface of the case. The button is activated by touch, a prelude to the touch interfaces of future iPods and iPhones. Once it's touched, the only feedback is a glowing light that appears deep beneath the surface. Normally, a lack of tactile feedback is a deficiency, but in this case the effect is almost magical. The electronics are configured around a large, centralized heat sync, which conducts the heat toward the center of the cube. A carlike grille at the top of the Cube allows the heat to exit, creating a chimney effect, which sucks cool air through the intakes on the bottom. This convective process is sufficient to cool the computer, avoiding the need for noisy fans — an engineering achievement, but potentially problematic for users accustomed to stacking their papers on the nearest available flat surface. The clear case looks sophisticated and expensive. It is thick, solid, and aesthetically pleasing, but its rigidity results in the transmission of a surprising amount of DVD-drive vibration to the desk. Communication ports are concealed on the underside of the suspended cube, keeping the visible surface of the enclosure uninterrupted. The primary issue with the acrylic enclosure regards the formation of nonstructural cracks in its surface. Whether caused by manufacturing defects or poor material durability, the cracks hit the product where it hurts the most: its aesthetics. The problem was never rectified prior to the discontinuation of the line, and no doubt contributed to its demise. Act 3 for the cube form: the Apple Store in New York City, which shares more than a passing resemblance to the crystalline G4 computer.

Brock Danner

Architecture If an architect were to design a computer it would look like this. A structurally expressivity obtained through the use of a translucent material enclosure containing the primary form suspended within and above the ground. The cooling systems are handled through the top and nearly all detailing is concealed or suppressed.

Robert Kingslyn

Graphic Design

Although a failed product commercially, the innovative, candy-shelled design of the G4 Cube brought attention back to the Mac after many loyal Mac users had begun lounging about the PC pool, pondering a dip. As a group, designers often chose products that reflect their design aesthetic and the G4 Cube brought many of us back into the Apple fold, if not for the Cube itself, at least for what it represented — the power of design to inspire innovation.

Rob Tannen

Human Factors

Likely influenced by then-Apple competitor Steve Jobs's NeXTcube, the G4 Cube had a unique appearance, even by Apple standards. But functionally, it had more in common with traditional competitor PCs than all-in-one Macs: modular components, upgradeable platform, and external monitor. But commercially, this was a failed attempt at trying to give users the best of both worlds.

Steven Umbach

Product Design

For many electronic products, the internal parts and function don't necessarily dictate an external form factor, so there is some latitude to have some design fun and make a styling statement. A cube form factor is not that original, but what is most striking about this design is the use of an acrylic outer skin that creates a sense of visual transparency for the product.

Source: DECONSTRUCTING PRODUCT DESIGN

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