From cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu  Wed Nov 12 22:10:31 1997
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Mail-from: From chrono@ibm.net Wed Nov 12 00:37:48 1997
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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 21:37:12 -0800
From: "Jin 'Time Traveler' Kim" <chrono@ibm.net>
Organization: The Fourth Dimension
To: cube lovers <cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Rubik's Cube Color arrangements
References: <34668899.248A@idirect.com> <346807C1.ACFE4D68@hvi.uu.se>

I have serveral cubes spanning over a decade and a half in front of me.
Here's the quick color arrangements:

Rubik's Cube (circa 1982)
Up = White
Down = Yellow
Front = Blue
Back = Green
Left = Orange
Right = Red

I've owned this cube for what feels like forever.  I'm not even sure how I
even found it again, because I dug it out of some old junk after not having
a puzzle for about 5 years.  This is slightly different from the one you
described as being from Hungary.  I suspect mine is from there too, so
maybe production values weren't as high as they could be.

Rubik's Cube "4th Dimension" (Golden Toys, circa 1988) - Poor quality in my
opinion, as the stickers are paper with a clear plastic laminate, but
despite only being taken out of the box only 4 Times ever, the plastic
laminate is already peeling in spots.
Rubik's Mini Cube (OddzOn, circa 1996)
Rubik's Cube (OddzOn, circa 1997)

All of the above have the same color arrangement as what you described
below as being the "Ideal" solution, which I believe isn't the best.  I
still think that the opposite pairing of red/orange, white/yellow, and
blue/green makes for the best balanced color combination.  Not to mention
it's also the best quality with plastic stickers instead of paper.

Anders Larsson wrote:

> Mark Longridge wrote:
>
> > First of all, the STANDARD colour arrangement used by Ideal Toy is as
> > follows:
> >
> > UP      = White
> > DOWN    = Blue
> > FRONT   = Yellow
> > BACK    = Green
> > LEFT    = Red
> > RIGHT   = Orange
>
> In front of me I hold a cube from one of the first batches from Hungary
> with the following colour arrangement:
>
> Up = white
> Down = yellow
> Front = blue
> Back = green
> Left = red
> Right = orange
>
> Does anybody know the history why this colour arrangement was changed?
>
> BTW: Even if Ideal Toys has their own local standard, it doesn't change
> the original ("correct") colour arrangement.

--
Jin "Time Traveler" Kim
chrono@ibm.net
VGL Costa Mesa
http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/alley/9895
http://www.slamsite.com