20-Year Old PowerMac G4 Cube Inspired the New Mac Pro’s Lattice Design

In an interesting article over at 512Pixels, Stephen Hackett has highlighted how a post-WWDC conversation between Apple CEO Tim Cook and design chief Jony Ive was discussed in a recent episode of the Accidental Tech Podcast.

During the conversation, Marco Arment overheard Ive explaining to Cook that the lattice design in the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR was originally developed for the PowerMac G4 Cube, but didn’t end up being used.

Mac pro scoops

However, Hackett believes that while the design from the outside is very similar to the Mac Pro, it is not quite the same. “The new machine uses hemispherical cuts, while the design on the Cube is created by two overlapping flat components. There are no fancy hemispherical cuts here,” he writes.

To prove his point, he also opened up a G4 Cube to offer a closer look. The lattice design is certainly more primitive and flat in the G4 Cube. Take a look at the photos below and let us know what you think.

Power macs g4



Cube vent detail

Pmg4 mdd back

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