Are any of you going to miss the eMac?

I do tech work at a high school over the summer, and they are all Mac system. All the teachers get iBooks, and there are several computer labs. For the labs the eMacs are perfect. There is no replacement for the price. The iMacs are too expensive, and getting mac mini's and external monitors won't work as Apple monitors are too expensive, and I know the tech director loves the all Apple setup, and won't compromise and get some third party monitor. It makes his job much easier, if any piece of technology breaks, it's one call to Apple, and they'll fix it.

For consumers at home, iMac or mac mini is alright, but for education, long live the eMac!

1. This was discussed some in this post..

2. When 1st designed, it was state of the art.

3. Why did they even market it? Do you have any idea how many eMacs were sold? They were extremely popular in education.

no... the crt died years ago.

The point was solid. The original G4 iMac was pretty, but a bad choice for anyone with limited funds. LCDs were still too expensive then, and as a result the iMac was a lot of price for little computer. At several points over the G4 iMac's lifespan, the cheaper eMac was actually the more powerful computer (faster bus, or faster this, or bigger that), and the eMac was alot cheaper. Certainly, when factoring in price as well, one could afford a decked out eMac with maxed out RAM, a huge HD, etc., for the price of a base iMac.

Moreover, the lampshade iMac was innapropriate for schools as it was overpriced and delicate. The eMac filled the role of a cheap, sturdy computer for schools far better than any other mac.

With the arrival of the new G5 iMacs, they have fullfilled their originial promise. They are much more powerful than the eMacs and the additional cost delivers more than just an LCD and better aesthetics. Still, they are questionable for schools, and too expensive for budget customers. The mini fills out the budget role well enough (although the eMac is still more powerful than the mini), but it's potentially a little stealable for schools. That can be overcome with custom-built locks and casings, but the eMac is still good for security. It's hard to abscond with a 50lbs computer.

I'd vote for abandoning the eMac and making a new eMac based on the G5 iMac. Make it a little bigger and sturdier (allowing the use of cheaper parts) and less powerful, and sell it at the eMac price point for schools and education customers.

Of course, everything's open to revision (in the broader sense of the word)with the Intel transition.

I'm not going to miss it personally, but I know schools will. As slow and outdated as it was by our standards, it was perfect for schools. Hopefully Apple will either release something to take it's place or cheap CRTs for schools to buy along with Mac minis.

An intel based cube to replace it in the gap between the mini and the imacs would be nice...

I think the eMac still serves a purpose and would continue to do so if they update it more. It is certainly more durable than the iMac, which is important for use among schools, children and other public areas (libraries, etc...).

It isn't THAT big...and low priced PC's come with monitors that big (budget Dells still come with CRT's) and a huge CPU tower along with it.

School only purchases

Hello everyone,
First post here -

I thought that the eMacs were still available to school purchases only. I remember reading this, though do not remember where - does anyone else remember hearing this elsewhere? I would think it would make sense, personally.

Well, just wanted to post my 2 cents - have a good one!

~Achithyn

yg17 said:

I'm not going to miss it personally, but I know schools will. As slow and outdated as it was by our standards, it was perfect for schools. Hopefully Apple will either release something to take it's place or cheap CRTs for schools to buy along with Mac minis.

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Same here. I like my G4 iMac.

But I couldn't have gotten my parents-in-law into a mac (this summer) if not for the attractive eMac price point. Fact of it is that there are loads of PCs for under $1000, but no Macs (I know those PCs are junk, but they run and do the basics, however kludgy). I really liked that Apple was trying to provide an entry level option--I think it's important for them and the long-run survival of the Mac OS.

I hope that the eMac will come back in some form. Maybe they'll create a stripped down iMac, with an LCD, less stuff, and price it under $1000 (or close to) Given where prices are now, it seems that without the isight, without the larger HD, and maybe a cheaper video card, they could get down close to the $1000 mark in an iMac. I hope they do.

Just come back from MacExpo and the Regent St store in London - seven eMacs on display in the store and all of them being used. It certainly didn't look as if they'd been withdrawn from sale to me.

The eMac was a low-cost Mac salution desiened for schools just like this beige G3 AIO in my sig. thay wasnt really made for speed in mind it was for school not the home consumer.

It was so popular they brought it to where the home consumer could buy it and it still sold cause it was a low-cost Mac that had it all so where they didnt have to buy any thing else. it was sorda like the Mac mini per say. Alot of people are going to miss the eMac and there is going to be a few people that won't

It's too bad only having the Mac Mini as an entry level computer, but I really didn't like the eMac. When I looked at it at Compusa or the Apple Store, it just seemed poorly designed, old, and (like carpe diem said) clunky. I wish they would have just done a redesign though, instead of just deciding not to sell it anymore.

Who knows about the eMac's fate, but I saw something cool last night. I was at church picking up a couple of camera's from the studio for a shoot, and saw what looking like an emac party inside. There were 15 eMacs in boxes, stacked in a corner. I found out that the school got them for a steal( >$500 each). Pretty nifty little buggers. I'm sure I'll get to play with them, as I often help out with the techie stuff around there, and I was one of the ones pushing the chruch to get rid of the PC's.

CRT's like the eMac are WAY better for schools. They clean way easier, and are less easily damaged. Schools will miss them. Since I had no intention of getting one, I will not.

nope aint going to miss it. wish i had one though...two macs are better than one i say