"Oddly, know one addressed why the G5 1.8 sold so poorly at $1499."
Timing, the $1499 G5 came just four months after Apple stopped making the $1299 G4 (not really a minitower but 3 inches shorter than the G5) and seven months before Steve Jobs announced the move to Intel processors.
One thing I didn't mention in my post is that the machine I'm looking for doesn't have to be a minitower. About the size and form of a standard home theater receiver would also work so there is no reason Apple has to make a "me too" product.
Count me in as another person still using a G4 minitower. As long as this nonexistent hole in the Mac lineup exists I will not be in the market for a new Mac. I will continue to use my G4 for as long as feasible and after that either a used Mac Pro or a hackintosh may be in my future.
The Non Existent Glaring Hole in the Mac Lineup
The Non Existent Glaring Hole in the Mac Lineup
The Non Existent Glaring Hole in the Mac Lineup