When the G4 Cube debuted in July, 2000, I wrote a column proposing that thanks to its relatively compact size and nominally modest weight, the Cube might well merit consideration as a portable computer substitute.

Indeed, this notion appealed to me so much that I tried it out personally last year when I purchased a Cube that was intended to be a system upgrade from my faithful WallStreet 233 MHz G3 workhorse.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time for someone like myself, who uses his laptop mainly as a desktop substitute anyway, usually with an external keyboard and mouse. The basic 450 MHz DVD Cube offered G4 power for less money than a PowerBook, even after you factored in the cost of an LCD display. Unfortunately, what I hadn’t factored in was that while the Cube CPU unit itself weighs in at a modest 14 lbs., that doesn’t include the hulking Cube power brick, the keyboard, mouse, Apple Pro satellite speakers with their in-line amplifier, and of course a monitor. Add all that stuff, and you are getting into the neighborhood of 30 lbs.

That doesn’t mean you couldn’t lug a Cube rig around as a semi-portable. Indeed, Willow Design even makes a couple of very nice Cube carry cases; one with space for a 15 in. LCD Apple Studio Display, and one without. However, the display-accommodating model is only slightly less bulky than a steamer trunk. You can read my full review of it here:
http://www.applelinks.com/mooresviews/NL29.shtml

Weight and bulk notwithstanding, what really defeated the Cube as a portable substitute in my estimation was its lack of self-containedness. With its peripherals attached, the Cube is literally all over the place, with a spaghetti tangle of wires leading from it (in addition to the standard kit, you really need a USB hub as well). I discovered, the hard way, that one of the things I cherish most about my PowerBooks is their all-of-a-piece conceptual unity. They are so much less cluttered than desktop machines. The PowerBook is the true heir of the original, simple, compact Mac, which at 17 pounds, people used to haul around with them in carry-cases.

However, there were things I did love about the Cube: its looks, and especially its speed, but I never really warmed to it, and when I got an opportunity to swap it even for a 500 MHz Pismo PowerBook, I jumped at the chance.

And I haven’t been sorry. I would surely like to have the Cube’s G4 grunt to boost OS X performance a bit, but aside from that, the Pismo suits me just fine.

Nevertheless, the idea of a portable-substitute desktop computer remains intriguing, and the new G4 LCD iMac appears to be a much more likely candidate to take on that role than the Cube was. And indeed, Willow Design just introduced a G4 iMac carry case last week to conveniently stow and protect the Flat Panel iMac, keyboard, speakers and accessories. Everything including the iMac is separately compartmentalized and protected allowing for quick and easy transport.

The new iMac will make a much more successful portable computer than the Cube for a number of reasons.

First, it is both more self-contained and shares a feature all laptop computers have -- a built-in LCD monitor. And while the higher-end iMacs do come with Apple Pro satellite speakers, unlike the Cube, it also has an internal speaker, so you don’t need to hook up the stereo jobs to hear what’s going on.

The iMac’s power supply is internal -- a split design that tucks neatly into the top of the base, unlike the Cube’s extremely large and clunky external brick.

The G4 iMac is also relatively compact -- 12.95 inches high (screen at its lowermost travel) x 10.6 inches deep (also minimum) and with a base diameter of 10.6 inches. That’s bigger than the Cube CPU ( 7.7” wide, 7.7” deep, and 9.8” tall) of course, but not once you add a monitor and other peripheral paraphernalia At 21.3 pounds, the iMac is also about five pounds lighter than the combined weight of the Cube, its power brick, and a 15 “ Apple Studio LCD display.

The new iMac’s laptop-like characteristics are more than skin deep. It is manufactured in Taiwan by Quanta, the same subcontractor that builds PowerBooks for Apple, and it shares a fair few basic engineering concepts with the TiBook.

Of course, no desktop computer incorporates one of the laptop’s most important portable features -- battery power. After using PowerBooks as production workhorses for so long, the lack of a battery backup on the Cube bugged me a lot more than I expected it to. I live in a rural area where lengthy power outages are not uncommon, and I like to unplug during the frequent summer lightning storms that blow through here as well. The PowerBook’s battery power allows me to keep working under these circumstances, and also eliminates the worry about potential lost data in a sudden blackout. You can get an Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS) unit which gives you the same sort of backup power security with a desktop machine, but that will cancel out some of the cost advantage of the iMac.

Speaking of which, it’s very tough to argue with the new G4 iMac on a price/performance/value analysis. Even the entry-level, 700 MHz machine is faster than the top-of-the-line PowerBook, and a thousand dollars cheaper than the low-end Ti, while the full-zoot, 800 MHz iMac is in the 14” iBook’s price range.

Die-hard PowerBook fan that I am, I can feel myself being wooed again by the siren promise of more power for less money. For now, I’ll resist. I like my Pismo. But how much does one of those UPS units cost, anyway?......

Charles W. Moore