Apple ends manufacturing of Energy Mac G4 Dice

July 3, 2001: Apple suspends manufacturing of its Energy Mac G4 Dice, one of the vital notable busts in Apple historical past — and the primary main flop following Steve Jobs’ wonderful return to the corporate.

Though Apple leaves the door open to presumably reintroducing the remarkably clear G4 Dice at a later date, this by no means occurs. The trendy pc is outdated by Apple’s improve to G5 processors after which to Intel Core-based Macs.

Energy Mac G4 Dice: Nice pc, however a bust

The Energy Mac G4 Dice represented a change in route for Apple. Computer systems just like the ultra-colorful iMac G3 and iBook G3 grabbed a great deal of consideration upon Jobs’ return to Cupertino. They immediately completed their mission of differentiating Apple’s {hardware} from the beige bins that different private pc firms constructed at the moment.

However designer Jony Ive and others had been eager to go in a brand new route with Apple design. Their new imaginative and prescient birthed the modern, austere, quasi-industrial aesthetic Apple continues to discover to today (though the colourful M1 iMacs launched in 2021 appear to be one thing of a throwback to the corporate’s extra playful designs).

A pc formed like a dice appeared to carry a bizarre fascination for Jobs, though he by no means discovered nice industrial success with the sort of design. The G4 Dice harked again to the NeXTcube, a pc Jobs created throughout his wilderness years exterior Apple. That machine additionally achieved solely restricted success.

A transparent dice constructed for pace

No one denied that the Energy Mac G4 Dice appeared hanging.

Reasonably than a typical tower, it took the type of a 7-inch-by-7-inch dice of clear plastic that appeared prefer it was floating in midair, because of its clear base.

It additionally operated in near-total silence as a result of it was cooled by air convection as a substitute of a fan. And it featured a touch-sensitive energy button, an early instance of the tech Apple would later use for the iPhone.

One thing that I very a lot appreciated about it was that it continued Apple’s mid-Nineties development towards expandability. Homeowners may entry the Energy Mac G4 Dice’s inside elements simply by the underside of the machine. It even sported a pop-up deal with to assist with this. (By comparability, Apple’s subsequent Macs have been an excessive problem to open up, not to mention broaden.)

When it comes to each specs and worth, the Energy Mac G4 Dice packed fairly a punch. It began at $1,799 for a primary mannequin with a 450-MHz G4 chip, 64MB of reminiscence and 20GB of storage. A costlier Apple on-line retailer unique — retailing at $2,299 — boasted a extra highly effective processor and additional storage and reminiscence. You had to purchase your individual monitor, too!

Placing the G4 Dice on ice

Regardless of all this, nonetheless, the G4 Dice by no means appealed to quite a lot of hardcore Apple followers. Certain, they might need liked it, however the G4 Dice merely didn’t ring a bell with on a regular basis prospects.

Though Jobs known as it “merely the good pc ever,” Apple solely bought round 150,000 items whole — simply a 3rd of what the corporate had forecast. The pc’s iconic look did make sure that it popped up in a couple of 2000-era Hollywood films, although.

The breathtaking design suffered its faults, although. Apple sustained a dangerous PR blow when some prospects reported tiny cracks showing within the G4 Dice’s clear plastic casing. (If you wish to purchase a second-hand Energy Mac G4 Dice at present, you would possibly need to examine for this.)

Apple places the Energy Mac G4 on ice

In Apple’s press launch on July 3, 2001, it wrote that the G4 Dice was being “placed on ice.”

“Dice house owners love their Cubes, however most prospects determined to purchase our highly effective Energy Mac G4 minitowers as a substitute,” stated Apple advertising chief Phil Schiller in a press release. Apple acknowledged that there was a “small probability” an upgraded mannequin would arrive sooner or later, however admitted, “there aren’t any plans to take action right now.”

Apple didn’t want to attend too lengthy for its subsequent massive hit, nonetheless. A pair months after placing the Energy Mac G4 Dice on ice, Apple launched a little product known as the iPod. We predict you already know the remainder!

Do you bear in mind the G4 Dice? Go away your feedback and recollections beneath.