Cube types?

[hait2]

So currently I have two cubes in my possession, and they're so very different, that this got me thinking about different cube types. The first one is the one I borrowed from a friend, and it's super tolerant of non-precise moves.. you can pretty much pull any side a few millimeters away from other sides, super easy to take apart (i can do it with my non-dominant pinky! )etc.
I love it ^_^ (and it very very rarely pops)

then there's my other cube.. I think it's official rubik's 25th cube. Aside from the horrible stickers (green face is completely gone, haha.. waiting on cubesmith), it's also not very tolerant at all, the moves have to be precise before you can turn a perpendicular face. Since I suck, I don't like that

The thing that's got me confused is that I'm certain the non-tolerant one is rubik's official 25th, since I bought it. I don't know what the other one is. It has a sticker on the white side that says Rubiks, a yellow/red/green cube, then Cube Puzzle and www.rubiks.com. It makes me think it's official as well.. however it's vastly different from the other cube. And it's got a japanese color scheme as well (which has screwed me over since I'm used to it now)

So I'm wondering now, is there a place where I can read up on the different cube types, etc. and figure out where the other one is from? I will eventually need a replacement cube, and I don't think I'll be very happy cubing with the one I bought.

(Their inside mechanism looks similar, I can't really tell a difference)

 

[tenderchkn]

No two cubes are the same, and some are better than others. But one just sounds like it's well broken in, and the other one isn't.

 

[ColdbuffeT]

Sorry this may sound stupid but what does it mean when your cube pops?

 

[joey]

A piece falls out while solving.

 

[doubleyou]

basically, buy a couple of cubes (most likely diys) and pick the one you like the most for speed. not SO cheap, but no problem I think..

I got me a nice speed cube now, but back when I only had the anniversary I really wished to have a better one! cube4you.com is a great place to get diys

 

[icke]

your friend might have a diy, cube which would explain the looseness. ya there are differences between the 25th cubes. a got a few of my friends to cube and every there cube are all different. the more you cube the looser it gets. just tern the faces each for like 30 sec (R R')and it will get looser already. thats what i did yesterday with one cube that was really stiff. lubing is another good thing to do (i alsow have to do that on her cube). the fact that rubik's uses pins now and not screws makes the loosening part a little bit more harder. i used plastic knifes, which i but between the slices and left them there over night so the sprinks loosen up a little. if you buy i diy kit you can adjust the faces the way you wont to and you dont have to spent a lot of money with buying different pre-assembled cubes to find the one that is loose enough. and there is no way of loosening a pre assembled cube as far as a diy cube.

edit: just found a video on youtube which shows the differens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6x1IgIBz08&NR=1