Power Mac G4 Cube--Who's It For?

Some web site columnists are asking. Well, me for one. As I stated earlier, I think it is targeted at the senior executive suite of businesses. People who compare it against the low end of the Power Mac G4 MPs are missing the point just as those who argue for iBook feature's that are in the PowerBook. The G4 Cube is another unnamed Apple product line, which I called the "executive" line, that is distinguished from the consumer and pro lines

Why an executive line? The iMac DV SE, despite the neat graphite, sage and snow colors, is still a $1499 consumer Mac with a fixed 15" CRT. The lower end of the non-cube Power Macs is a beautiful and expandable but BIG "box." If it's under the desktop, no one sees it's beauty and it's too big to be cool on an executive's desk. Most executives don't need expandability beyond RAM and what the FireWire and USB ports bring and most don't play many 3D games during the work day. The G4 Cube is functional art in visual design and engineering design for not a lot of bucks ($1799-2299) The G4 Cube fills the desktop cell in the "executive" line and will, in my opinion, be sold mostly with the 15" LCD but also a bunch with the 22" LCD display. It will be THE executive computer for 2000 and hopefully beyond. I don't see how any executive can resist.

The real question is what about the second cell in the "executive" line? It didn't have question marks in the cell in the product matrix as did the iBook before it came out. But then, Steve Jobs had already committed publicly to the iBook when he killed the eMate. The other cell in the 2x3 product matrix had a white Apple logo on a black background. Still, a year ago last Spring, Steve Jobs hinted at a portable executive computer. Will it be a 2400c replacement? A PDA? An iPhone? Or is it just a design decision to show a 2x3 matrix as most commentators and columnists have surmised. I think the cell will be filled because I think Apple has a pincer strategy, i.e. working at the enterprise and consumer middle by making big inroads at the bottom with the iMac/iBook and at the top with the G4 Cube/?. Let's watch things unfold. Opinions are welcome.