Is Apple Resurrecting the Cube?

Before the Mac Mini, Apple experimented with the G4 Cube. The Cube was Steve Jobs’s fully capable, yet ultimately ill-fated, foray into the world of computers-as-art. While most users balked at the high-price tag and very limited expandability, many others found that having something you wanted to look at as a computer was worth the extra dinero. I personally know a few people with Cubes, and they spend more money than they need to on upgrades and upkeep.

Apple appears to be at it again. Steve has a thing for cubes, and a recent patent filing shows a new “cubical computer housing” for an as-of-yet unannounced Mac. With the Mac Mini serving the low-end/consumer/ expanability-is-for-sissies crown, one could only guess what this new computer will be. The Apple Mac Cube Squared, perhaps? Or some entirely new computer configuration? Or is this just another “just in case” filing from Apple? Perhaps we should take bets.

Ultra compact computer arrangement [US Patent Office]