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jonasmac · Mar 16, 2003, 10:16 PM

I just fulfilled one of my goals and bought a cube. I've always loved their simplicity and style.

G4 800mhz (Powerlogix Upgrade)
1GB RAM
40GB Hard Drive
32mb Video Card
CDRW Drive
Apple Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers
The seller was very nice and threw in an extra 533mhz G4 processor for free. Don't know yet what I'm gonna do with it.

All for...gasp....$1300 (not including shipping)

How'd I do? I'm hoping that I didn't waste my money. I know I could've bout a brand spanking new powermac for a few hundred more, but, hey, it's a cube! It's still in transit, so I won't know if it'll work until it gets here.

I'm experiencing a little bit of buyer regrets. So, I come to you all, fellow mac enthusiasts for a little reassurance. So please, c'mon and reassure me.

--jonas

danbrew · Mar 16, 2003, 10:49 PM

i just sold a stock 450 with a gig of ram for $700... perhaps your seller and my buyer got a deal, but I think you paid about $300 too much.

G4ME · Mar 16, 2003, 10:50 PM

i say you didn't do that bad, is that a radeon for a video card, or an nvida flavour? also props on keeping the cube alive.

if i had the cash i would do the same thing just to say i have one.

BrunoBruin · Mar 16, 2003, 11:01 PM

I don't think that's too bad, considering that the upgrade alone would cost $350. With a gig of RAM and a 32MB video card for Quartz Extreme, you should be all set. I've seen used, stock Cubes on reseller sites for more than $1,000.

I love my Cube and would much rather have it than a new tower, although I do wish my Cube were faster. It's definitely feeling pokey. I'm having a hard time making up my mind about an upgrade.

jonasmac · Mar 16, 2003, 11:02 PM

I think it's a Radeon. I'd have to check my buyer/seller correspondence to find out though.

I saw stock cubes with only a DVD drive on Ebay going for almost $1,000. And the 800mhz upgrade from Powerlogix is about $350 (last I checked). That was my logic in making the purchase.

Long live the cube, I say!

--jonas

bbrowne74 · Mar 16, 2003, 11:21 PM

a 32MB Video card sometimes goes for 200 bucks if it will fit in the cube. The G4-800 upgrade is about 350, the 1GB of RAM is nice. I think you got a fair deal.

I just bought a stock 450 cube with 640MB Ram , original software, keyboard, etc. for 700 shipped.

Hi I'm Ben · Mar 16, 2003, 11:32 PM

I'm selling my cube in the for sale place for cheaper, of course it doesn't have that processor upgrade but that's a cheap upgrade.

chris v · Mar 17, 2003, 08:57 AM

Consided the non-stock extras:

upgraded cpu, (350.00)
1 gig of ram (150.00)
40 gig hard drive (125.00)
radeon video card (150.00)

Youd pay seven hunderd to do all that to a stock Cube, at least.

+ the coolest powermac case ever, I think you got a decent deal. That machine's plenty powerful enough to last you 3 or 4 years.

CV

joe · Mar 17, 2003, 09:54 AM

Originally posted by jonasmac:
I'm experiencing a little bit of buyer regrets. So, I come to you all, fellow mac enthusiasts for a little reassurance. So please, c'mon and reassure me.

I LOVE my Cube, no regrets whatsoever in buying mine 2nd hand!!! It's the finest computer ever nade IMHO! The specs you listed are a vague, but you did at least a little better than average from what I can see. A quick check of completed Cube auctions on eBay shows the base model 450/DVD/20gig/Rage128Pro Cubes going for around $750 - though yours is obviously not the base model. In round numbers the 32MB graphics cards (OEM GF2MX or OEM Radeon) are good for another $150 and the 800Mhz PL upgrade is around $350. Believe it or not, the CDrw Cubes tend to get more money than the DVD Cubes (mine is DVD). So throw in another $100 or more for that. Then add in the extra memory ($100-150) and larger hard drive (base model is 20gig) and you're doing pretty well. The extra cpu board is certainly worth something if you were to eBay it as well.

It's amazing that Cubes are still getting such a premium over a similar spec G4 Tower. But the Cube is more than just numbers on a page. Asthetics aside (it truly is a work of art though), it's amazing how much Apple managed to fit into such a small space. And if PowerLogix and Sonnet are any indication, we're going to be getting plenty of use out of our Cubes for quite some time to come. Good luck with your Cube - keep us posted

........joe

PS - Don't worry if your Cube does that intermittent on/off bs. The touch switch is overly sensitive on quite a few Cubes. If it happens with yours, an easy workaround is to cut out a small piece of ink jet paper and place it over the switch (from the inside).

Drakino · Mar 17, 2003, 04:57 PM

Very nice deal with all the upgrades that are in the cube. The CD Burner is rare for a cube, as is the radeon video card.

I won't trade my Cube for anything. I'll upgrade it as much as possible before ever looking at a full tower PowerMac again. With the way upgrades have gone, I should be able to max my Cube out with a single or dual 1.2 or 1.4ghz CPU upgrade. Beyond that, I'm sure the Powermacs will move over to the 970, and at that point the Cube will finally start to become dated.

Flowbee · Mar 17, 2003, 06:01 PM

Yup... looks like you got a pretty good deal. I paid $780 for my 450/dvd/20gb with 1.12gb of RAM a couple of months ago. Yeah, I could have picked up a refurb. eMac for about the same price, but you really can't compare the Cube to the current line of Macs because they're not, well... a Cube.

jonasmac · Mar 17, 2003, 06:30 PM

Thank you all for the "cube support group" pep-talk. I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival. Seems I can't think about anything else.

Now I just need an Apple Cinema Display....

--jonasmac

jonasmac · Mar 20, 2003, 03:09 AM

Just got it in today while I was at work! I can't wait to get home to try it out.

--jonasmac AKA "Happy Camper"

BrunoBruin · Mar 21, 2003, 03:11 PM

Congratulations! Come back and give us a report. I'm especially interested in what you think of the speed with the PL upgrade.

I seriously considered snapping up one of the discontinued Cinema Displays when the price dropped, but I didn't move fast enough.

a-poria · Mar 21, 2003, 03:19 PM

jonasmac, please do tell about the 800mhz cube. if you ever run into any trouble (which i hope you don't) drop by cubeowner.com. lots of cube people that are always ready to help.

Hi I'm Ben · Mar 22, 2003, 03:56 PM

Originally posted by a-poria:
jonasmac, please do tell about the 800mhz cube. if you ever run into any trouble (which i hope you don't) drop by cubeowner.com. lots of cube people that are always ready to help.

i <3 cubes.. but i'm selling mine either way.

jonasmac · Mar 23, 2003, 07:34 PM

My cube is up and running. And dang it, it's the most beautiful machine in the world. It runs flawlessly. The PL 800mhz processor
seems just as fast as my 933mhz Quicksilver at work. Granted, I've only done some minor photoshop stuff so far, but it's still FAST. I've also played a little WarCraft III, which also runs quite well. But I do need a two button mouse. Side Note to Apple: Quit it with the one-button already! I don't have any idea how to benchmark my system, so I don't have anything specific. I was also suprised at how smooth the slot loading CD-RW drive is. Not anything like my tibook.

Both the processor and my video card have fans, but the cube is still pretty quiet. In fact, I'm suprised at how quiet it is. It's more quiet than my PEECEE and more quiet than my tibook 400. It's a sleek and sexy machine. Just like my tibook and just like me.

If I had to gripe about one thing, it's having all the ports so inaccessible underneath the machine. It can be such a hassle trying to plug and play perpherals into the cube.

The power button is a little sensitive, but I don't find it a problem. I was a little worried about the "wake from sleep" issue that I've heard so much about with cubes....but my cube does NOT have it. I let it sleep for a few hours, and it started back up with no problems.

Overall, I'm in love.

My Cube Specs:
G4 Powerlogix 800mhz
ATI Radeon 32mb (adc & vga)
1GB RAM
40GB HD
CDRW
56K modem
10/100 Ethernet
2 usb
2 firewire 400
Apple cube speakers, mouse, keyboard

I'm looking to upgrade the HD and the speakers. Anybody have any recommendations? I also have a G4 533mhz processor that I don't know what to do with. Anybody know how much it's worth? Maybe I can eBay it. Special thanks to Stacey for selling me this great machine.

--jonasmac

Macanoid · Mar 23, 2003, 07:52 PM

- have a look at a Seagate Barracuda V 80 GB - the quietest hd you'll ever come across. I have one in my Cube too !!

- for speakers, have a look at this:
jbl creature

- I have a radeon card in my cube as well, but replaced the fan with a no-brand passive heat sink. This was done 18 months ago and not a single (heat) problem since!!

- have a look at this mouse:
wireless studio mouse

cmay123 · Mar 24, 2003, 03:08 PM

cant help with the hard-drive but for speakers, I suggest the griffin imic, its a little usb audio hub on the apple website for about $40, thats what I got for my cube when I had it and it worked great, and the nice thing was that I could use any speakers I wanted to.

Peter · Mar 24, 2003, 04:35 PM

Originally posted by jonasmac:

I'm experiencing a little bit of buyer regrets. So, I come to you all, fellow mac enthusiasts for a little reassurance. So please, c'mon and reassure me.

Dude you just bought the coolest Apple Mac ever!
You cannot put a price on the G4 Cube, it is the most incredible computer I have ever seen, I wish I could afford one

Enjoy it

tramahound · Mar 25, 2003, 07:08 PM

i second that vote for a seagate barracuda IV 80gig drive. that's what i have in mine and it's super quiet. i have a western digital caviar in a firewire enclosure and it's loud as hell compared to the seagate. congratulations. i paid a lot more for my stock 450mhz cd-r cube a few years ago on ebay. it was new in box though at least. i'm interested in popping in a 1ghz powerlogix upgrade too. let us know how your 800mhz performs in the long(er) run.

AlanApple · Mar 25, 2003, 07:46 PM

I just picked up a G4 500 Cube with 768 ram, 30gb hd and 32 meg Radeon.

Fantastically cool machine.

jonasmac · Mar 25, 2003, 08:45 PM

Welcome to Cube Land!

Any suggestions on the best place to buy a Seagate Barracuda IV 80gig hd?

--jonasmac

Gummi Bear · Mar 25, 2003, 08:59 PM

can you install an airport card in a Cube?

OwlBoy · Mar 25, 2003, 09:23 PM

Yup Gummie. (97% shure)

-Owl

Macanoid · Mar 26, 2003, 02:24 AM

absolutely - 100% sure

tramahound · Mar 26, 2003, 11:53 AM

yes you can and it's insanely easy! here's the link for quicktime movies of how to do it even!

BrunoBruin · Mar 26, 2003, 12:01 PM

Originally posted by jonasmac:
Any suggestions on the best place to buy a Seagate Barracuda IV 80gig hd?

I bought a Seagate for my Cube at New Egg but I haven't looked at prices lately. Now I'm intrigued by these DVD-R upgrades that MCE is offering. That and a 1GHz upgrade would make a pretty nice Cube.

tramahound · Mar 26, 2003, 12:34 PM

what dvd-r upgrade do you speak of? that would make my cube perfect! is it a standard pioneer superdrive? and can it burn from idvd? THAT'S the important question. links please

BrunoBruin · Mar 26, 2003, 02:30 PM

Originally posted by tramahound:
what dvd-r upgrade do you speak of? that would make my cube perfect! is it a standard pioneer superdrive? and can it burn from idvd? THAT'S the important question. links please

Don't you read the NEWS on MacNN?

"MCE Technologies today announced a comprehensive lineup of internal DVD recordable upgrades for the Mac on the market today, including upgrades for the Power Mac G4, Power Mac G4 Cube, PowerBook G4, Power Mac G3, PowerBook G3 (FireWire/Bronze), iBook (Dual USB), iMac (Flat-Panel), iMac (Slot-Loading), and iMac (Rev. A-D)."

Linkage

tramahound · 02:38 PM

ah, i used to

wow. that is seriously cool. and they offer reseller discounts to the company i work for! (no set discount yet though since it's not available)
thanks

BrunoBruin · Mar 26, 2003, 02:36 PM

They are a tad pricey, tho.

tramahound · Mar 26, 2003, 02:46 PM

yes, they are. that and a nice 1ghz upgrade would run dangerously close to $1000. argh

Hi I'm Ben · Mar 26, 2003, 05:14 PM

Originally posted by tramahound:
yes, they are. that and a nice 1ghz upgrade would run dangerously close to $1000. argh

1000$ for a 1ghz upgrade?
try
499.

CheesePuff · Mar 26, 2003, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by Hi I'm Ben:
1000$ for a 1ghz upgrade?
try
499.

$500 CPU and $450 DVD-R = $950.00 without shipping.

Hi I'm Ben · Mar 26, 2003, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
$500 CPU and $450 DVD-R = $950.00 without shipping.

i suppose i should read.
i wasn't real impressed with that 1x DVD action that it offers. Especially a the insane price.

tramahound · Mar 26, 2003, 06:55 PM

It's not like there are other options out there though.

C.J. Moof · Mar 29, 2003, 12:49 AM

Originally posted by tramahound:
It's not like there are other options out there though.

Well, there's always firewire, as long as you're not stuck on burning from iDVD.

My desktop is a Cube that just got a 800Mhz Powerlogix upgrade. It's a fantastic machine, espicially with OS X. I'm browsing forums, playing iTunes, and transcoding mpeg-1 to mpeg2 via ffmpeg in the background, and it doesn't skip a beat. My processor has been pegged at 100% for the last 25 hours, and this little workhorse is just fine with that.

I should really keep a cleaner desk as to show it off better....

proux · Mar 30, 2003, 11:35 AM

Just waiting for the dual CPU upgrades to show up, a dual 11.2 Ghz for $1,000 would be nice and enough computing power for another couple of years if you max out the rest.

But PL and Sonnet have problem with the single 1.2 Ghz right now. Sonnet should produce a new power board in the next couple of weeks, from there we will see if dual upgrades show up. PL hasn't fixed their 1.2 Ghz boards yet, and some people fried their power boards, ouch...

Good luck with your new purchase (price was right).

BrunoBruin · Mar 30, 2003, 06:28 PM

I thought it was the 1GHz boards that were problematic; the 1.2s are a later revision chip and a lower voltage, or something. I was ready to buy a 1Ghz upgrade until I read the stories about fried Cubes.