Apple Computers stopped production of the Power Mac G4 Cube computer yesterday in Cork raising fears about the future of up to 400 manufacturing jobs.

The halt in production followed a decision late on Tuesday by Apple to scrap the diminutive computer which never proved a hit with consumers.

The Cube was one of two computer models manufactured at Apple's Cork facility. It will continue to manufacture the Power Mac G4 desktop, which is geared towards business customers.

IDA Ireland said last night the State agency had been told by local management the decision to scrap the Cube would have minimal impact on the Cork operation.

However, the decision to halt production of the Cube and the recent slump in demand for PCs will raise fears among workers who have suffered similar shocks before.

Apple has faced several crises since it invested in Cork in the early 1980s. Just two years ago the firm shed 450 jobs at the facility when production of the iMac computer was relocated to Wales.

A local Apple spokesman would not comment on the implications of the decision for the Cork facility.

But it is understood that manufacturing accounts for just 400 of the 1,200 workforce and Apple has made significant progress to diversify its Cork facility to overcome shocks.

The decision to scrap the Cube is a rare product mistake by Apple which has been extremely successful in developing innovative designs. The Cube, which is four times smaller than the conventional desktop computer, was introduced last year but suffered due to its high price and public perception.

Customers complained about a series of thin cracks in the plastic casing and a tendency for the model to switch itself off unexpectedly.

In a statement, Mr Philip Schiller, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said there was a small chance the company would reintroduce an updated model in the future. "Cube owners love their Cubes, but most customers decided to buy our powerful Power Mac G4 minitowers instead," he said.