eMac being phased out?

I don't know, there was speculation of this kind of thing when the Mac mini was first introduced, but then Apple went ahead and updated the eMac line. Maybe they will phase it out in the future but for now I think it has a place in the product line. Basically the eMac is a Mac mini + a keyboard/mouse and a screen, all in one package.

IMO, the eMacs were removed from Apple's retail stores as the kids' machines because Apple was debating internally what to do with them - at that point, it was approaching a year since they had last been updated. I think Apple will either revert the eMac back to education-only (since the Mac mini fills, to some extent, the niche the eMac had), or keep it around but not promote it very much - I don't think it'll be discontinued completely just yet, since I still see a place for it in the education market.

obrien234 said:

I haven't been to my local Apple Store in a few months, but I noticed something about the computers they set up for the little kids. They weren't eMacs anymore, they've all been replaced with iMacs. Now I don't know if that means anything, but personally I don't find a reason for those eMacs, which were running little kids games, to be replaced. Those machines could have easily handled that kind of usage. Does anyone else think that the eMac won't be around for too much longer?

Click to expand...

I think that the eMac will be phased out. Don't get me wrong its a great computer. But CRTs are becoming the way of the past. Any new eMacs would probably be LCD (a cheaper version of the iMac).

So if the eMac gos to a LCD formfactor than yes it has a future. If it stays CRT...

jamdr said:

Basically the eMac is a Mac mini + a keyboard/mouse and a screen, all in one package.

Click to expand...

Except that it pumps out more performance!

dmw007 said:

Except that it pumps out more performance!

Click to expand...

Well, for now. But the eMac was just updated and the Mac mini is due for an update really soon. Probably either way the eMac will always have a slight performance edge, I guess.

The latest eMac updates where hardly publicised at all, and I feel that this may be the start of their removal.

::20ROGERSC::

I think they will keep it until the Intel switch, and replace it with something completely new.

People have been talking about the eMac being EOLd since it came out, and it's still around.

In education, it's a cheap and complete solution.

Still less expensive than a Mini, and not very prone to theft like a Mini would be.

Sun Baked said:

Still less expensive than a Mini, and not very prone to theft like a Mini would be.

Click to expand...

True, guess it would be a little hard to sneak away w/ a jumbo eMac tucked under your arm

I think they will stay around until the intel-macs come about and then they will change the form factor slightly, maybe a bit smaller with an LCD instead of a CRT, but i can always see apple producing something like it....

This is because the mini is in no way a replacement to the eMac it caters for a different kind of buyer.....

eMac's and there kind will always have there place in Education and various other places like libraries or small offices who need an all in one solution at an affordable price..

SHadOW

Sun Baked said:

Still less expensive than a Mini, and not very prone to theft like a Mini would be.

Click to expand...

Exactly - those things are ENORMOUS! Carrying a 15" iMac any distance was bad enough, you'd struggle to do a runner with one eMac - whereas you could put 10 minis in a backpack and still run pretty fast!

CRTs are still more durable that LCDs. Think about all kids who put their grubby hands on the screen, slobber on it, use crayons on it, etc. An LCD just wouldn't hold up as well. I would guess that the eMac is a very profitable line for Apple and will be around until CRTs are finally phased out.

skubish said:

CRTs are still more durable that LCDs. Think about all kids who put their grubby hands on the screen, slobber on it, use crayons on it, etc. An LCD just wouldn't hold up as well. I would guess that the eMac is a very profitable line for Apple and will be around until CRTs are finally phased out.

Click to expand...

Yep. I was just going to post that.

Yep. Flat panels no good for kids. I am looking for a cheap imac with crt and DVD drive form my 2yr old who loves to surf Noggin. I had him on a laptop, no good. Then a G5 with Dell flat panel, loves to throw stuff at the flat panel. Now I am hoping for a G-Shock imac snow.

Doesn't the eMac use a regular hard drive, and the mini use a notebook hard drive? If so, the mini will probably never outpace the eMac.

As for CRT vs LCD in the eMac, why not just have an option for a rigid yet clear plastic panel to go in front of the LCD? Maybe it could also keep UV from the sun from damaging the LCD too?

The all-in-one setup of the eMac is certainly ideal for a school. The iMac G5, IMHO, is overkill for most schools. With the exceptions of graphics/photography classes, the eMac is sufficient. Even then, one could get by with using the eMac for that stuff.

MarkCollette said:

Doesn't the eMac use a regular hard drive, and the mini use a notebook hard drive? If so, the mini will probably never outpace the eMac.

As for CRT vs LCD in the eMac, why not just have an option for a rigid yet clear plastic panel to go in front of the LCD? Maybe it could also keep UV from the sun from damaging the LCD too?

Click to expand...

Its a possibility but at the price point Apple has right now, there is no way you could use a LCD. CRTs are just too cheap.