The Cube ! No computer before or since has had the design elegance that this tiny box has. just removing the core from the shell is an out of body experience that will never be duplicated. Like many things before it's time it was diss'ed for niggling complaints that had no effect on it's utility.
Even though I have a dual 500 under my desk, the Cube gets 99% of my "uptime" ~ so silent and just plain cool, sitting as Art on my desk. I have upgraded it with max RAM and a 100 GB drive. I have a Radeon waiting for Quartz extreme and 10.2. It's connected to a 17" TFT Mac display and never fails to WOW anyone who sees it.
If and when it begins to seem slow, I'll upgrade the processor board. In fact that is why I bought the dual 500, because the processors can be moved into the Cube with minor modifications. If and when I ever EOL it as my main computer it will become a file & web server/firewall for my broadband connection. I'll probably buy another one at some point just to be sure that I can use it for many years to come. I have had many computers, far to many to bother listing here, but the Cube has been the best of all of them, and the only one that I have loved so much and felt so strongly about.
I'd vote for the 'Fat Mac' (512k), the Plus and the Rev B iMac (which I owned for years until I replaced in with my current iBook).
The original Mac really contained the essence of what a Mac should be, easy to use, neat, elegant, excellent design. It had everything you needed in that tiny box and just worked. The one major flaw was of course the low memory (that's why the 512 gets the vote). The Plus did it all again with slightly upgraded specs, but of course things had moved on by then anyway.
When the iMac first came out I saw it as the original Mac reincarnated with modern specs. Interestingly, it too was slightly underpowered but was again a brilliantly designed computer. The way the ports were handled, the daring adoption of USB as standard, the looks, the all-in-oneness, the little details like dual headphone ports all made it true to the original idea of Macintosh. Once again we had a computer that was elegant, easy and worked. The main niggle with the original iMac was the lack of VRAM, but that was fixed in Rev B, so that gets the vote. One major problem with the Rev B however, was the mouse, which was not Apple's best attempt at ergonomic design.
I add my vote for the PowerBook G3, especially Pismo edition. I think it has been praised enough on this thread, and so I will just leave off at adding my vote to the count.
I'd pick first the iBook (Dual-USB). I have the 700 Mhz 14" version, and IMHO, it's a simply unbeatable value that never ceases to turn heads wherever I take it.
Next, I'd pick the original iMac. It's hard not to acknowledge a computer that single-handedly saved Apple (at least, in terms of general public opinion).
And of course there's the Pismo. Everyone seems to love it and it's practically impossible to get one used up here (everytime they show up @ used Mac dealers they always get snapped up ASAP) so I suppose it had to be one good piece of hardware.
Comments
<strong>I gotta go with beige G3.
The 9600 w/350 MHz 604e was a sweet machine too. Not sure if it had the AV stuff my beige does.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It did not. The 8x00 series of towers had the AV option.
Even though I have a dual 500 under my desk, the Cube gets 99% of my "uptime" ~ so silent and just plain cool, sitting as Art on my desk. I have upgraded it with max RAM and a 100 GB drive. I have a Radeon waiting for Quartz extreme and 10.2. It's connected to a 17" TFT Mac display and never fails to WOW anyone who sees it.
If and when it begins to seem slow, I'll upgrade the processor board. In fact that is why I bought the dual 500, because the processors can be moved into the Cube with minor modifications. If and when I ever EOL it as my main computer it will become a file & web server/firewall for my broadband connection. I'll probably buy another one at some point just to be sure that I can use it for many years to come. I have had many computers, far to many to bother listing here, but the Cube has been the best of all of them, and the only one that I have loved so much and felt so strongly about.
The new 17"iMac is the best. <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/jkarc1045/PhotoAlbum1.html"; target="_blank">See for yourself!</a>
The original Mac really contained the essence of what a Mac should be, easy to use, neat, elegant, excellent design. It had everything you needed in that tiny box and just worked. The one major flaw was of course the low memory (that's why the 512 gets the vote). The Plus did it all again with slightly upgraded specs, but of course things had moved on by then anyway.
When the iMac first came out I saw it as the original Mac reincarnated with modern specs. Interestingly, it too was slightly underpowered but was again a brilliantly designed computer. The way the ports were handled, the daring adoption of USB as standard, the looks, the all-in-oneness, the little details like dual headphone ports all made it true to the original idea of Macintosh. Once again we had a computer that was elegant, easy and worked. The main niggle with the original iMac was the lack of VRAM, but that was fixed in Rev B, so that gets the vote. One major problem with the Rev B however, was the mouse, which was not Apple's best attempt at ergonomic design.
Original Imac: 7
PB G3: 4
Ibook: 4
G4 Powermac: 4
Original mac: 4
Beige G3: 3
G4 Imac: 3
9600: 3
LC series: 2
IIFX: 2
PB G4: 1
7500: 1
6500: 1
8100: 1
Plus: 1
IIci: 1
IIsi: 1
PB 3400: 1
PB 2400C: 1
Cube: 1
imac rev c
Next, I'd pick the original iMac. It's hard not to acknowledge a computer that single-handedly saved Apple (at least, in terms of general public opinion).
And of course there's the Pismo. Everyone seems to love it and it's practically impossible to get one used up here (everytime they show up @ used Mac dealers they always get snapped up ASAP) so I suppose it had to be one good piece of hardware.