Wrappers for Your G4 Cube by Patrick O'Kelly

To start with, I wish to thank all the hard working people at ResExcellence your site is an inspiration to all who follow it. Every section is a promotion for the continuing evolution and development of the curious and creative Macintosh community.

That said, I am submitting a desktop snapshot to show an example of an idea for changing the physical “Appearance” of the Macintosh G4 Cube as often as you like by way of a printout image i.e. “Cube Wrappers”. Let’s get started with a brief description. There is a space between the clear outer plastic housing and the metal inner housing of the Cube and this space is just enough to allow a piece of paper to be easily inserted and removed as often as one would like. Beginning to get ideas already aren’t you!?

Select or create the perfect image for your Cube, my example is Borg, seeing as they recognize, though many centuries after Apple, the importance, simplicity and perfection of the Cube design.

Size your creation in your favorite graphics editor to at least 7.25” in height and anywhere from 7” (easily fits on standard size paper) to 21” (banner type paper) in width. The 7.25” height is important! Any smaller than that and you will have a hard time removing the printout tomorrow or in an hour when you come up with an even more fantastic design. It can be taller, in fact it can be as much as 9.375” then it will come all the way down to your desktop, it’s up to you, I just like seeing the image floating in the clear case. The width just determines how much of the Cube will be covered, 7” gives you a fine frontal presentation for your design while the 21” gives you the glorious widescreen three sided “Cube-0-Rama”.

Print out your fabulous production, look’s great doesn’t it? Now don’t get in to much of a hurry, let it dry for awhile. You don’t want to insert your vision while the ink is still wet. Get out your X-Acto knife, straight edge and... you know what to do. *Note: I would stay away from glossy paper, it may in time stick to the inside of the outer housing. If you have used glossy paper much, you know what I’m talking about. If you clean your Cube with any type of liquids be sure to remove your artwork; wet, ink, stick, get it? Also, with the Cube I have, paper will easily fit all the way to the top, but on other Cubes you may find it's different so try inserting a piece of the printer paper you plan to use before printing it out.

Now, turn off your computer, turn it upside down onto something padded as described in the Cube Manual, and carefully, so you don’t wrinkle it, insert the printout into the space between the outer and inner housings. Turn the computer right side up again and marvel at your creation, then make some more.

I have made many, most I like a lot more than the image I have included but it's the first one I made so I thought it's a good place to get started and I'll share more later. There is a template included to help you incorporate or build around the Apple emblem on the Cube case. So, brew up a pot of your best beans, turn up the MP3's, stay up all night and crank out some cool Cube Wrappers and show'em to us.