In the beige world of PC design, the Apple iMac brought a new concept to the desktop: COLOR. Sleek and functional, the Apple G4 followed, with its convenient swing-open side panel. Now that PC makers are catching on, adding translucent color plastic to their designs, Apple has raised the design bar yet again with the Power Mac G4 Cube.

The G4 Cube looks deceptively simple—an 8-inch cube seemingly suspended in a Lucite shell. But when you consider that it contains all the components found in a traditional PC in one-quarter the volume, you can appreciate the challenge. The careful construction carries over to all elements, from the slit on top that silently feeds and ejects DVDs to the futuristic Apple Pro Mouse and Pro Keyboard. (Apple Computer Inc., www.apple.com)