http://forum.appleinsider.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/004642.html
Belle has said the following in regard to the cube:
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rumored box is a divergent species of iMac. Whether or not it will exist
concurrently with the ancestral iMac or not, I don't know. There will likely be a
further evolution of the current iMac before it becomes extinct.
----
Mandricard figured what I was getting at. Note, I never said "cube" with respect
to form factor either in my post above, or the discussion we had in chat some
weeks ago.
The reason there is some confusion is because sites reporting this information
are mixing details about more than one product together.
----
Heh, sorry apple_otaku. There are new form factors for Power Macs which are more
cuboid than the current models. Also, there is a new evolution of iMac which is a
"box" design. I've read the information posted at MOSR, and some of it is
accurate. Both products have rubber inlaid in a similar manner to the iBook.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BKuchta has said the follwoing in regard to the cube:
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll say that although some of the info at mosr appear the be wrong, they are
definately on the right track.
----
Antother tidbit: The DVD loads from a slot on the top.
----
It appears that it is a slot loading drive on top of the G4 (kind of like a
toaster). I only know what I've seen, I have no "hands on experience" with the
new G4.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worker Bee:
Worker Bee has said a lot in regard to many products. He has also posted
pictures of what apparently are a new mouse and MP G4 card. These were done with
annonymous Geocities accounts which adds fuel to the fire. He has said the
following about new products in general:
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
keyboard is new, has volume up and down. mute and eject. mouse is new. optical it is.
----
the mouse doesn't really rock. Just the top half of the shell seems to click down
when pushed. Those two things on the side aren't really buttons. They're part of
the base. They don't click at all. They help in clicking the "button". I don't
have pics of the keyboard, sorry. Think of the Apple Design keyboard, and where
the LEDs were showing num lock, caps lock, and scroll lock, there are now volume
up, volume down, play, and eject buttons. I don't have the mouse anymore so I
don't think I'll be able to get pictures of the underside. Sorry. The pictures
came out pretty dark, but the mouse glows red when in use.
----
New iMac is coming, but not very exciting. Speed increase, up to 500mhz.
New G4 unit is coming also, but it looks really cool. Current prototypes are
housed in a black box the size of a Kleenex® tissue box. Opened, the box reveals
the tiniest of motherboards. Three ram slots, one AGP slot, and a G4 processor.
Fastest is 450mhz.
Then there's the new iBook with a firewire port.
Finally the MP G4s. Clockwork. Not Mystic. Mystic shipped a long time ago. Speeds
up to 450.
----
the summer cpu's are as follows:
Midway= new firewire iBook
Trinity= small G4 based computer
Perigee= revised iMac
Clockwork= MP G4
fall cpu:
Mercury= G4 PowerBook
The new Keyboard and mouse are summer items as well. The only two items I know
for sure that will have a new enclosure are the Mercury and Trinity. Because they
are currently in proto enclosures. The Clockwork and the Trinity, which use a G4,
don't seem to be using DDR memory. They are also not using G4e or G4+. Bus speed
appears to be the same. Unfortunately. That's all for now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
He has also said the following about the cube:
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
the black box does have a slot loading dvd drive, and some units have a 30GB hard
drive. The unit does have 2 fire wire ports and 2 usb ports. But no audio jacks.
I've heard they'll ship with USB speakers. The units also do not have a fan, but
2 massive heat sinks.
The imacs still use a G3. I have never seen an MP G4 running faster than 450.
Just singles. Oh yeah, the powerbook g4 will also have a slot loading dvd drive.
----
I actually don't know what will be displayed at MWNY. I just happen to know when
certain projects are finished. The only project that has GMed is Perigee. Which
are the iMacs. So here is my own guess for MWNY. new imacs? yes. Nothing special.
New keyboard and mouse? yes. New MP G4? Possibly. New style mini-G4? possibly.
PowerBook G4? No way. iTablet? Never heard of such a device.
BTW, there were two versions of the Mystic motherboard. One had built in Gigabit
ethernet, the other did not. They were originally going to be MP machines. But I
guess not. Case modification? I dunno. Forward deleted key is there.
----
macosrumors was pretty accurate except for a few things. it is small. no mp. 3
ram slots. 1 agp slot. slot loading dvd. and a push button lever that opens the
case. 2 usb ports, 2 firewire ports, vga/dvi port, reset and power are found on
back. No audio connections. Heard of USB speakers being bundled. Oh yeah, Airport
is in there. remember the mouse?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you can see, there is quite of bit of disparity in these descriptions. All
seem to agree the MOSR report has some truth to it and all describe a cube-like
device. Worker Bee described it as being the size of a Kleenex box which is
confusing. He says some have a DVD drive while others have a HD. I don't
see how you fit a DVD drive into something the size of a Kleenex box. The part
BKuchta wrote about it having a slot-loading drive on the top like a toaster is
interesting. Steve Jobs said they were working on digital appliances and the
reference to a toaster has come up in the past. It would be just like apple to design
something like this. It has that unique touch touch. It could be their gimmick.
In any event, it would appear that we have three inside sources here though I'll admit
appearances can be deceiving. We won't know for certain until the 19th. So...
Belle, BKuchta and Worker Bee? Why don't you all just spill your gut now and
give it to us straight. No more cloak and dagger stuff. You have already
crossed the point of no return. Like it or not, come the 19th you will either
become heroes or villans to this messageboard so you might as well give it to us
straight, here and now.
------------------
apple_otaku