New eMac Tomorrow? [Archive] - MacRumors Forums

MacRumors

Oct 4, 2004, 07:58 PM

An anonymous submission from Spain reports that resellers are expecting revised versions of the eMac tomorrow. There's not much more to go on than that, but the machine is now 174 days from its last revision, with the previous revision happening 179 days from its predecessor. The machine is said to keep the CRT monitor, as opposed to moving to a flat panel LCD.

[Update] Speculation (http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=687) from AppleInsider, October 12, 2004.

Mudbug

Oct 4, 2004, 08:00 PM

honestly I don't know whether to believe this or not - resellers usually find out everything last in the overall chain, but rumors about the eMac have been really silent lately.

Phat_Pat

Oct 4, 2004, 08:13 PM

i highly doubt that. but then yet again.... it could happen... just have to wait and see :rolleyes:

sockeatingdryer

Oct 4, 2004, 08:13 PM

Wow, it's been that long already? Sigh...

Lancetx

Oct 4, 2004, 08:34 PM

Postal

Oct 4, 2004, 08:58 PM

My guesses:

Combo

1.5 GHz G4
40 GB hard drive (yeah, yeah - it's cheap)
64 MB Radeon 9200
$799... or $699!

Superdrive

1.5 GHz G4
80 GB hard drive
64 MB Radeon 9200
$999 (or $899 if the Combo is $699)

Sound okay? :) I could see Apple keeping a 32 MB video chipset, but if so then I'd expect them to either provide a larger hard drive in the Combo or else lower the price.

Freg3000

Oct 4, 2004, 09:12 PM

MacFan25863

Oct 4, 2004, 09:12 PM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

Steven1621

Oct 4, 2004, 09:14 PM

Sounds right. Maybe we should ask the guy who correctly guessed the last eMac revision? :D

jimsowden i believe it was...that was something out of macrumors folklore how he called that one

Phat_Pat

Oct 4, 2004, 09:27 PM

jimsowden i believe it was...that was something out of macrumors folklore how he called that one
if i remember correctly he worked at an apple store and "stumbled" across them the day before they were released.

could be wrong though..... :rolleyes:

t300

Oct 4, 2004, 09:28 PM

jimsowden i believe it was...that was something out of macrumors folklore how he called that one

Totally, I remember that. I wish he would reveal how he did it...Anyway, this COULD be interesting...But I would say there is only a 31% chance of this taking place.

~Shard~

Oct 4, 2004, 09:41 PM

Updating the eMacs would definitely be cool, as they are due for an upgrade. With all these other updates being announced, it would be great to see the eMacs involved as well. With updated PowerMacs, iMacs and eMacs, Apple could do no wrong! :cool:

I wonder when the eMac will get a complete facelift though - I think if this rumor is correct, the update will only be in terms of processor speed, pricing, etc., nothing revolutionary....

Mr. Anderson

Oct 4, 2004, 09:45 PM

Well, with the G5 in the iMac, makes you wonder what speed of G4 we're going to see in the new eMac....

Also makes me sad since this bottom dollar mac is continually getting faster than my machine at home.....

D

g4cubed

Oct 4, 2004, 09:45 PM

If it's anything it will be a slight speed bump at the same cost.

aswitcher

Oct 4, 2004, 10:09 PM

Yeah, where is jim when you need him.

Ok, I agree, now the iMac has a G5 they can max out the eMac processor, 64 meg graphics, etc

Now, I wonder if they would go for the bounce down speaker option like the iMac to clean up the things face?

And visions of ipod mini coloured shells haunt me as well...

powermac99

Oct 4, 2004, 10:17 PM

$699 would be incredible

swissmann

Oct 4, 2004, 10:25 PM

I hope it's soon. I'm looking to buy.

stingerman

Oct 4, 2004, 10:26 PM

It would be cheaper for Apple to release a 1.6 GHz 970FX based eMac.

NNO-Stephen

Oct 4, 2004, 10:37 PM

It would be cheaper for Apple to release a 1.6 GHz 970FX based eMac.

but would totally **** up the product matrix.

although it would be great as my mother is going to get herself a new eMac upon the next revision :) I told her to wait less than a month ago... I feel it was the right call.

she is running a Preforma right now. 75Mhz PPC 603 w/ 32MB of RAM and OS 9.

!

areyouwishing

Oct 4, 2004, 10:42 PM

All I want for Christmas...
1.25-1.5ghz G4
256mb RAM (I would say 512, but it's Apple)
40GB-80GB
4 USB 2 Firewire
64mb ATI 9200 (I wouldn't even care if it was built in)
Combo-DVD-R
10/100
699-799$

sockeatingdryer

Oct 4, 2004, 10:46 PM

areyouwishing,
That's freakin' awesome! LOL :)

jimjiminyjim

Oct 4, 2004, 10:49 PM

Awesome Picture. Looks just like an eMac without a screen! Ya, I know.
I assume you already have a flat panel display you're happy with?

Ensoniq

Oct 4, 2004, 11:29 PM

I think that an eMac at 1.5 GHz is wishful thinking.

I say that only because the current PowerBooks range from 1.33 GHz to 1.5 GHz, with the eMac at 1.25 ... note that the eMac speed is slower than what's available on the PowerBooks, probably to make the severely overpriced PowerBooks look like a better buy.

I don't think Apple would release 1.5 GHz eMacs until 1.5 is the bare minimum speed available on the 12" PowerBook, with the 15" and 17" models available at speeds above 1.5 GHz.

I could see Apple raising the eMac speed from 1.25 to 1.33 GHz with HD upgrades from 40/80 to 80/120, and MAYBE modest price reductions as just a simple refresh. But like you all, I'd love to see 1.5 GHz eMacs ASAP. It's still the best machine in the matrix for price/performance ratio, including the new iMac G5. (Though let's face it, the iMac is much sexier than the eMac.)

nagromme

Oct 4, 2004, 11:35 PM

LCD prices never plummetted, so CRT Macs are here to stay. They provide a low entry-level price point. And the eMac CRT is a VERY nice looking--and totally flat--screen. You also have a choice of resolutions at the same quality, which is a fair trade for losing LCD sharpness.

And the eMac--even my first-gen--provides a lot of power for the buck. It's a great system AND one of Apple's best-looking.

In other words, there's nothing wrong with a CRT eMac except the weight!

A new version is inevitable. Tomorrow? Who knows.

homerjward

Oct 4, 2004, 11:41 PM

headless eMac
if apple did that for 500 dollars it'd kick ass!

MacinDoc

Oct 4, 2004, 11:56 PM

Trowaman

Oct 5, 2004, 12:07 AM

geez, eMacs getting updated, I still consider it a steal for its current price.

the real quesiton though is where are the laptops on this one. I would like to see a speed bump and $100 price cut on the iBooks and the Powerbooks need to be equivelent to iMacs in speed and possibly rival the powermacs.

This is just my thoughts.

hansen

Oct 5, 2004, 12:44 AM

I hope this is not postponing my iTMS!

you

Oct 5, 2004, 01:33 AM

Im guessing that they are going to be updated cause when you go to the emac page in the apple store it says new, in both of the model descriptions.

hansen

Oct 5, 2004, 02:10 AM

Im guessing that they are going to be updated cause when you go to the emac page in the apple store it says new, in both of the model descriptions.

yeah, they seem to have updated the specs now

aswitcher

Oct 5, 2004, 02:17 AM

yeah, they seem to have updated the specs now

? Sorry, are you saying you have seen eMacs with new specs on some store? Not in Oz or US as of this moment... :confused:

hansen

Oct 5, 2004, 02:19 AM

? Sorry, are you saying you have seen eMacs with new specs on some store? Not in Oz or US as of this moment... :confused:

no sorry for the mistake, just the NEW sign

Chaszmyr

Oct 5, 2004, 02:21 AM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

I think that there's a fairly large number of people who bought an iMac rather than an eMac just because they thought the eMac was ugly. If the eMac used the G4 iMac's design it would arguably be more stylish than the G5 iMac and would probably gash the iMac G5's sales. Yes, I realize it would still be a much less powerful machine, but I think aesthetics are important to many consumers. Furthermore, I don't think they could use an LCD larger than 15'' without raising prices, and many consumers would rather have a 17'' CRT than a 15'' LCD.

nagromme

Oct 5, 2004, 02:23 AM

I see 1.25/40/Combo for $799 (non-edu) and 1.25/80/Super for $999. That's the old models right? (12:30 AM Cupertino Standard Time.)

(And I think a headless low-end Mac--maybe called an eMac, maybe not--IS coming one day. Apple knows the demand is there. Some have said that Steve/Ives won't ever encourage Macs hooked up to "generic" non-Apple-styled monitors. Not true: Apple will SELL you a "generic" CRT right on the Power Mac BTO page. So what's the hold-up? Maybe a new G4 desktop would have too short a life to bother with. So maybe we'll see it with a G5. The new iMac is a step towards that day.)

aswitcher

Oct 5, 2004, 02:23 AM

. Furthermore, I don't think they could use an LCD larger than 15'' without raising prices, and many consumers would rather have a 17'' CRT than a 15'' LCD.

Well one day they will have to go LCD...maybe 2005...maybe 2006...maybe 2007, but at some point CRTs are going to die, and it seems to be that the new iMac form factor is ideal for an LCD eMac...

nagromme

Oct 5, 2004, 02:31 AM

Oh--and the eMac's chrome speakers look so nice and distinctive, it's a shame to hide them! I leave the optional covers off... they should be clear plastic, not white. Older Apple photos show the cool speakers. New ones hide them with the covers and the eMac doesn't look as nice that way.

There, that's off my chest. :)

yoshi31

Oct 5, 2004, 02:42 AM

An anonymous submission from Spain reports that resellers are expecting revised versions of the eMac tomorrow.

Is that submission from Spain, as claimed here, or from Italy, as claimed on Macrumors page 2? :confused: I have doubts...

Btw, emacs ship "same business day".

Nermal

Oct 5, 2004, 02:58 AM

Let's just say it's a submission from Europe :)

nagromme

Oct 5, 2004, 03:14 AM

Conspiracy theory re no 60 GB iPod... the price of it would have been too close to a forthcoming low-end Mac :)

marvbloke

Oct 5, 2004, 03:26 AM

I'd like to see the eMac at a lower price here in the UK, to really compete with the budget PCs sold at the big PC superstores. For the eMac's current price of £550 you can get a PC with a 15" flat-panel LCD. So either drop the CRT-based eMac to £400, or switch to a 15" flat-panel at the same price (unlikely).

Zaty

Oct 5, 2004, 04:07 AM

Zaty

Oct 5, 2004, 04:09 AM

Well one day they will have to go LCD...maybe 2005...maybe 2006...maybe 2007, but at some point CRTs are going to die, and it seems to be that the new iMac form factor is ideal for an LCD eMac...

Exactly, Apple will drop the eMac when they can offer an Edu version of the iMac G5 at price below $900.

kettle

Oct 5, 2004, 04:41 AM

Let's just say it's a submission from Europe :)

yesh, the European mix is gonna lead to degenerate ideals.
That's why Britain is Great and England calls the shots.

And on todays menu is kiwi. :eek:

Actually I'd rather be Taff, Scotch or even Kiwi than a European.

I don't think a LCD eMac will happen, maybe a sharper edged version of the current eMac so there is more continuity with the iPod.

:)

Mord

Oct 5, 2004, 05:11 AM

i'd say there will be a 1.4GHz g5 emac with a 5200 ultra similar specs to the imac but cheaper.

g5's are cheaper and the g4 is faster clock for clock on somethings so it will not compete with the powerbook at all.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 5, 2004, 05:14 AM

1.5 GHz G4 eMac could be a possibility. I would fully expect it to look the same/maybe slight modification. I believe it will retain the CRT because otherwise it's essentially an iMac. Its whole existence is due to the fact that CRTs are cheaper and there needs to be a cheap Mac. And LCD one would be way too costly.

Veldek

Oct 5, 2004, 05:28 AM

Yeah, where is jim when you need him.

I think he was banned some time ago. Don't know why though.

wrldwzrd89

Oct 5, 2004, 05:48 AM

If it goes down tomorrow, here's my prediction (same form factor as current eMacs):

Combo: 1.33 GHz G4, 256 MB RAM (of course), NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 64 MB (Apple LOVES this GPU, doesn't it?), 80 GB ATA HD - $799

SuperDrive: 1.5 GHz, 256 MB, GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, 160 GB HD - $999

You heard it here first!
MacinDoc - those specs seem right on the money, based on past history at least. That would make the new eMac faster than my current iMac...sigh.

brap

Oct 5, 2004, 06:06 AM

I've always been a fan of the eMac, it looks so slick, and I've always preferred big CRTs over LCD. Perhaps now is the time to plump up for a cheap cheap desktop Mac...

Lancetx

Oct 5, 2004, 07:02 AM

Well, it doesn't appear that it's going to happen today. The store is always down by 8am ET on mornings when there are hardware updates unless Apple has a live event like MWSF going on that day. Maybe next week? :)

aafuss1

Oct 5, 2004, 07:03 AM

I just checked the US Apple Store and the eMac currently ( at 10:02pm AEST) is still the revision released in April-no updated models yet. Same for iBooks and Powerbooks.

Postal

Oct 5, 2004, 08:05 AM

No update today (or at least, not at the usual time)... move along, folks!

CMYanko

Oct 5, 2004, 08:06 AM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

Remember the eMac is still the 'educational' unit and a requirement of that is to be sturdy in a classroom full of elementary age kids. Not sure the old iMac flat would be suitable plus the built in speaker are key. I suppose they could put a LCD in eMac style emclosure and keep the speakers but I would assume that would drive the price up. A spped bump alone would be appropriate and if they could trim $100 off the price then even better.

Mr. Anderson

Oct 5, 2004, 08:17 AM

what I don't understand is the 'New' flag is next to the eMacs on the Apple store, yet they're no different....anyone have an idea what's going on?

D

t300

Oct 5, 2004, 08:20 AM

what I don't understand is the 'New' flag is next to the eMacs on the Apple store, yet they're no different....anyone have an idea what's going on?

D

Can you elaborate a little more on that. and I will check it out today...

ASP272

Oct 5, 2004, 08:22 AM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

I totally agree. Why not move the eMac into a better design. Though there were significant cooling issues with the last iMac design.

Spock

Oct 5, 2004, 08:26 AM

All I want for Christmas...
1.25-1.5ghz G4
256mb RAM (I would say 512, but it's Apple)
40GB-80GB
4 USB 2 Firewire
64mb ATI 9200 (I wouldn't even care if it was built in)
Combo-DVD-R
10/100
699-799$

Hey I made that pic.

wordmunger

Oct 5, 2004, 08:26 AM

what I don't understand is the 'New' flag is next to the eMacs on the Apple store, yet they're no different....anyone have an idea what's going on?

D

Pretty much everything has "new" next to it. Even the powerbooks, which haven't been updated for almost as long. Even the xServes, now almost a year old, spout "all new features". Just typical adspeak, I think.

Mr. Anderson

Oct 5, 2004, 08:27 AM

Can you elaborate a little more on that. and I will check it out today...

go to the Apple store and click on the emac - when you're given the choice between the two verisons, to the top right of each pic is a "New" flag.

Here's a pic...

D

LarryC

Oct 5, 2004, 08:29 AM

I sure hope that this is true. I'd be happy with either a better GPU or a G5 and a better GPU; if they would do this then there would be no need for ANY price drop. Just my opinion. I've been waiting for a real improvement in the iBook before I buy. But, if this does happen then I'd get the eMac now and wait six months or so on the iBook.

~Shard~

Oct 5, 2004, 08:32 AM

what I don't understand is the 'New' flag is next to the eMacs on the Apple store, yet they're no different....anyone have an idea what's going on?

D

I think in a new cost-cutting strategy, Apple has decided that instead of actually updating the eMacs, they will simply put a "NEW" tag beside them, making people think they are new. This new strategy of "psychological updates" will definitely help Apple's bottom line! ;) :cool:

Mr. Anderson

Oct 5, 2004, 08:34 AM

I think in a new cost-cutting strategy, Apple has decided that instead of actually updating the eMacs, they will simply put a "NEW" tag beside them, making people think they are new. This new strategy of "psychological updates" will definitely help Apple's bottom line! ;) :cool:

Well, truth in advertising, you know....

Apple probably thinks it will help sell them, and they are honest, since there 'Old' eMacs.....one time.

Makes me wonder what they're going to do when the new ones actually come out :D

D

~Shard~

Oct 5, 2004, 08:41 AM

Well, truth in advertising, you know....

Apple probably thinks it will help sell them, and they are honest, since there 'Old' eMacs.....one time.

Makes me wonder what they're going to do when the new ones actually come out :D

D

Maybe Apple will re-brand them as "nEwMacs".... :cool:

TomSmithMacEd

Oct 5, 2004, 09:04 AM

Yeah, the whole new tag means nothing. Look at the powerbooks!

OHHH POWERBOOK G5 TOmorrow!!!!!

\ sarcasim

agentbristow

Oct 5, 2004, 09:11 AM

OK, so im at this morenet conference in Osage Beach, MO and there was an apple booth. They had an eMac set up there, but the speaker grills looked very weird. I have a pic on my cell, but i cant send emails from it right now if someone wants to post the pic here, i could send it to them via MMS on a cell phone and they could email it to me or my moblog. Just a thought. BTW I didnt know about the eMac rumors until apple had shut down the booth, so i didnt get to go into system profiler or about this mac at all.

Mr. Anderson

Oct 5, 2004, 09:14 AM

They have plastic grills you can put on them - friend of mine got one and we were setting it up looking at the grills....guess its to keep kids from poking the speakers and messing them up.

Is that what you're talking about?

D

agentbristow

Oct 5, 2004, 09:20 AM

maybe, these had grills on the speakers, but you could see through them and see some silver poking through

jholzner

Oct 5, 2004, 09:28 AM

Mr. Anderson

Oct 5, 2004, 09:28 AM

Well, once we see a pic, we'll know. If you can't get anyone to help you how long will it be before you can upload it yourself?

D

wdlove

Oct 5, 2004, 09:33 AM

Apple will be definitley constrained on any new designs of the eMac. To attract the educational market the price will need to remain about the same. Finding the correct performance and price point will be tricky.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 5, 2004, 09:34 AM

Apple has been releasing products during trade shows lately. Maybe not at them specifically but at the same time as they were going on. Soooo, I'm betting that if they are going to release new eMacs or iBooks they will do so at Educase in Denver, which takes place Oct. 11-14.
Yes, new eMacs, and then new PowerBooks/iBooks would fit in nicely with that little MacWorld thing in London on November 20th time - to coincide with the launch of the Apple Store London :)

G4-power

Oct 5, 2004, 10:18 AM

Yes, new eMacs, and then new PowerBooks/iBooks would fit in nicely with that little MacWorld thing in London on November 20th time - to coincide with the launch of the Apple Store London :)

Yeah, that'd be great. All three of them, both 'Books and eMac are up for an upgrade soon. If they update the eMac they can't make the eMac as fast as the PB they need to update the PB as well. Xserves need a refresh too.

I don't think that the eMac will go G5 shortly, but it might help make it cheaper, as some already said that G5's are cheaper. But that would make it even more difficult to get desktop Macs because IBM couldn't keep up on producing the processors. If this rumor is at all true, then I'm expecting a minor update. If this is major, let's pretend I said nothing. :D

As for MacWorld...dude it'd be great to attend some Apple expo. But first...I just might consider getting myself into an Apple reseller store!!! The new Helsinki Officeline (http://www.officeline.fi/main.html) AppleCenter looks great. And they've received a handful of iMacs too!

Windowlicker

Oct 5, 2004, 10:35 AM

A move to a 1.5 GHz G4 would be a nice upgrade assuming they will stay at the same price they are now. I still think the eMac is the most underrated and under appreciated Mac there is. My Mom got one (her first ever Mac) a few months ago and she loves it. She was getting so paranoid with the Windows security issues that she was afraid to even go online anymore, but not now that she has a Mac.

Yeah well other than speed or anything, a big difference between eMac and say iMac is the noise. You really can notice when the eMac is on. Things are a bit different with the G5 machines (PM+iMac).

nagromme

Oct 5, 2004, 10:38 AM

Apple has, at some point, changed the eMac speaker grilles from ones with large (5mm?) holes to ones with smaller (half that?) holes. The white front changed too--I saw an old and new eMac side by side a few months ago and both looked like pure white alone, but together one was a warmer white and one was cooler. I wondered if they might have given up on the "white under clear" look like they did with the iBooks but I didn't look close enough to tell.

But underneath the grilles are the same silver speakers--and the grilles are optional/removable. It depends if you want protection, or slightly better sound (and looks).

agentbristow

Oct 5, 2004, 10:53 AM

I wont be able to upload a pic until about 6 this evening, and its not great quality, it came from my camera phone.

vga4life

Oct 5, 2004, 11:17 AM

Apple has, at some point, changed the eMac speaker grilles from ones with large (5mm?) holes to ones with smaller (half that?) holes.

But underneath the grilles are the same silver speakers--and the grilles are optional/removable. It depends if you want protection, or slightly better sound (and looks).

That's the difference between the first and second generation eMacs. Current eMacs have white speakers with white plastic grilles perforated with ~1mm holes. These grilles are not "supposed" to be removable, but a bent paperclip "hook" and a strong yank popped them right out without breaking anything.

I believe the ones with the silver speakers had some sort of internal baffles to improve the sound as well ("Harmon-Kardon sound system") where the current ones do not.

I kinda like how the white speakers look, though.

-vga4life

yoshi31

Oct 5, 2004, 12:04 PM

Pretty much everything has "new" next to it. Even the powerbooks, which haven't been updated for almost as long. Even the xServes, now almost a year old, spout "all new features". Just typical adspeak, I think.

If you switch to other Apple stores than the US one, the same specification emacs are not flagged "new". Does this mean that cheap marketing works better in the US than elsewhere? :D

areyouwishing

Oct 5, 2004, 12:05 PM

Hey I made that pic.

Althought i spent the 10 minutes to do this one rather than track another one down, Im sure a billion of these things have been made, it's definately not an original idea of mine.

Cheers to the non-existant headless eMac.

må¥å

Oct 5, 2004, 01:07 PM

While I find nothing wrong with the current eMac design, it could sure loose some depth and some weight if possible.

I feel making it about $50 USD cheaper will be great.

Yes, the GPU need a boost to 64 once that happens the iMac G5 will look like a worse deal. a G5 chip, better FSB, and an LCD. Great. :rolleyes:

The only thing stopping me from buying a eMac is the GPU, once it has the 64 in, I know Core Image will take use of it. Even though Tiger is 64-bit I guess I can live with that running on a 32-bit G4.

The eMac is Perfect as it is, at a good price.

-------------------------------------

By The Way when will we be seeing the death of the combo and super drives, I really like the iPod and USB flash drive.

Think of it this way buy Tiger as Retail and when you open it you find a USB flash drive to install from. Well just dreaming here since until we reach 4 Gig flash drives at a low price we will see the death of optical drives and Thinner PowerBooks. :D

I am just dreaming of the day when Audio CD's are no longer needed, and going to the local HMV and buying a Flash Audio Album. :)

Talk about having a key chain with Flash Audio Albums. :D

iMeowbot

Oct 5, 2004, 01:10 PM

what I don't understand is the 'New' flag is next to the eMacs on the Apple store, yet they're no different....anyone have an idea what's going on?
They were billing the iLamp as "The New iMac" even after it was discontinued.

mpw

Oct 5, 2004, 01:12 PM

..I was thinking, prompted by this thread, what upgrade Apple would make to the eMac.
Although the 'e' was originally for education it now seems that the eMac is just the entry level Mac.

I wouldn't be surprised by a speed increase as the iMac is now G5 it's desirable for that and it's design now, and will no doubt creep ever faster as the eMac's G4 creeps faster too keeping it's desirability for die hard speed freaks.

What else could they do I thought?
A flat panel would bump the cost up too much for too little improvment in features and would risk taking iMac sales.
What about a widescreen CRT?
Then I thought about enlarging the screen size but thought again as go much bigger with a CRT and it's gonna get too big for most desks.
(This is where it hit me and I fell off-topic)
28" or 32" CRT TVeeMac sat in the corner of every living room with a built in Superdrive/DVD Recorder and the the new Apple iLife Media Centre (no Pro Apps required by target audience) and Bluetooth keyboard/trackpad/remote contol.
The G4 TVeeMac can be sold for years before it seems outdated unlike most computers.

Too much to drink maybe?

musicpyrite

Oct 5, 2004, 01:19 PM

MacSA

Oct 5, 2004, 01:22 PM

"......an anonymous submission from Spain reports that resellers are expecting revised versions of the eMac tomorrow."

Oh well.....it looks like it was a hoax or a practicle joke.

MacSA

Oct 5, 2004, 01:28 PM

I'm skeptical as to weather or not Apple is going to do an update tomorrow. I say that because if they raised the speed of the eMac to 1.33 or 1.5GHz there would be a huge outrage from PowerBook owners, complaining that a bottom dollar machine is as fast/faster than the Pro line of computers. I wouldn't mind if they kept the proc speed the same, and put in a little better video card and more HD space, or at least make it cheaper if they don't change anything.

I highly doubt Apple will do this, though I hope to heaven that they will. :)

Ive made that point several times too. There would be alot of VERY unhappy Powerbook owners if the eMac was made more powerful than their Powerbooks.

And that's the problem, if the Powerbook can't be upgraded with better processors than neither can the computers below them in spec either -even if the hardware to do so is avaiable. I think people need to start forgetting about the G5 Powerbook too.

G4-power

Oct 5, 2004, 01:32 PM

...And that's the problem, if the Powerbook can't be upgraded with better processors than neither can the computers below them in spec either -even if the hardware to do so is avaiable...

Yeah, this is true, absolutely. I don't really know about the PC community, and there are of course lots of different manufacturers, but do people complain on the PC side if their pro laptop is slower than a consumer desktop machine. Well probably not because they're used to it or their pro laptops are not the thin sleek type that powerBooks are but 2" monsters with 45 minute batteries. You can never accurately compare Apple and the Wintel side. And I'd better have a look at something like HPs site about price/speed comparison between laptop and desktop.

EDIT: Okay, so I visited hp's site (that sucks) and I see that their "better" laptops are quite cheap compared to their consumer desktops. The thing is, if I choose a Pentium M laptop, these things smoke the P4's. But for a rough comparison, a desktop 3.4 GHz P4 17" LCD, DVD-+RW, 512 MB, 160 GB for 1500$ against a laptop same 3.4 GHz P4 17" Combo drive, 256 MB, 60 GB for like 2000+$. Got sick of the hp site (made Safari have the beachball for a long time) but anyway, the price difference is bigger on the Apple side because, c'mon, PB's are NEATO, 1" thick. Making one of them costs a bit more than eMacs, and you can't put a too hot proc inside a 1" case.

JonMaker

Oct 5, 2004, 01:35 PM

Apple only sells LCD displays (and fine ones at that) so why WHY are they still bundling CRTs (and poor ones at that) with their eMacs? Does anyone know how much of a price difference an LCD would make in an eMac? I doubt it would be much.

Better yet, Apple could stop bundling the LCD with the eMac, and maybe reincarnate it as a cube.

My one HUGE request is that Apple starts shipping them with 512Mb of RAM.

I made a presentation on GarageBand to a sophomore music class on the school's eMacs (baseline 1.25's w 128 Mb RAM). As would be expected, I played about five seconds of the song, and got a "system overload" message. Someone in the back said "hahaha macs suck," and, suddenly, I realized how much the 128Mb RAM bottlenecks the performance of an otherwise solid machine, and how bad this bottleneck makes the Mac look to these students, to many of whom the eMacs are their only exposure to non-wintel technology.

This (shipping comps with far too little RAM to educational institutions) gives Apple a bad name.

jsalzer

Oct 5, 2004, 01:35 PM

Think of the marketing possibilities for a headless eMac.

The current iMac has "Where's the computer?"

The eMac could have "Where's the monitor?"

If you're really going to gear this thing for the classroom, encase it in a rugged suitcase-like case, allowing it to be closed when not in use (to protect the screen and to provide more table space) and to be easily transported (though not small enough to fit into a book bag or backpack.) Kind of like an old, old laptop that's built to last (at a low price.)

As fer advertising with "new" - yup - us United Statesers do fall for that kind of thing. Just like we fall for the same store having a "once a year" sale every weekend. ;)

Zaty

Oct 5, 2004, 01:42 PM

I don't see why PB owners should be upset if Apple updated the eMac tomorrow. Remeber last April? The eMac was updated on 4/13 while the PBs were updated 4/19. So, in theory, for one week, the then current 12" and low-end 15" were 25% slower in CPU clockspeed. I don't remember reading a lot of complaints b/c everyone knew the PBs would be updated soon. Secondly, the eMac and the PBs are different lines targeted towards different users. I've said it before I'm saying it again: Notebooks will always be slower than desktops, at aleast as longs as the current disction between portables and desktops exists.

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 5, 2004, 01:45 PM

G4-power

Oct 5, 2004, 01:48 PM

G4-power

Oct 5, 2004, 01:54 PM

Apple only sells LCD displays (and fine ones at that) so why WHY are they still bundling CRTs (and poor ones at that) with their eMacs?

I wouldn't say poor. 1280*960 resolution on a 17" (16" viewable)CRT at 75 Hz is pretty good. And getting that good monitors at low cost is good. A good enough LCD would be significantly more $$$. Not that I wouldn't want the CRT to be dead, I can't stand CRT flickering anymore (I know, more Hz, less flickering) when I use school machine's or our old PowerMac 6100. I'm so used to a LCD. But on 75 Hz, I don't think the eMac screen flickers too much. And at 1280*960 it's pretty sharp.

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 5, 2004, 01:59 PM

I agree, if iam not mistaken its a tuned down 17" studio display and my now 4 year old display is doing great. Crts you dont have much to worry about and they last for years and years.......

Doctor Q

Oct 5, 2004, 02:03 PM

I had another reason to look at the eMac specs (http://www.apple.com/emac/specs.html) today and wonder if they are about to be upgraded. Because I'm about to get a free eMac! Well, sort of.

At school, we have one CRT iMac in our computer classroom that appears to be a lemon. It's been repaired by Apple numerous times for numerous problems (crashes, won't boot, won't wake from sleep, can't change startup disk, etc.). Today they told us they are finally going to replace it instead of trying to fix it anymore. But they said we'll get an eMac instead of an iMac, since they presumably don't keep a closetful of CRT iMacs around for schools to use any more. But it's going to look a little odd having a computer classroom with one eMac and all the rest iMacs.

wrldwzrd89

Oct 5, 2004, 02:05 PM

They need to give Emac that fx5200 so they can move powermac and imac up with better video cards/chips, take your pick i could rattle off a half dozen that are better but we have ran that subject into the ground more then once. Give it the traditional moto bump-1.4 maybe 1.5 and you have a nice entry machine. In fact with some help from family we are getting my son a machine for christmas and a emac would be perfect.
For once I agree with you Dont Hurt Me. That GPU would not only help push the eMac forward, but would pave the way for improvements in the iMac and PowerMac GPUs (and less so the PowerBook). The iBook is due for an update soon anyway, so it matters less. Only problem is that the iMac isn't due for an update anytime soon, so it'll be a while before it gets a new GPU. However, the PowerMac will likely be updated before the iMac is, clearing the way for an iMac update. So in the end it makes absolutely no difference to the update cycle.

QCassidy352

Oct 5, 2004, 02:11 PM

I wouldn't be surprised to see the emac updated past the powerbooks, at least in some regards. Remember that the emac was the first to see an 8x superdrive...

The emac is a really great machine, and totally underrated. My family has a 1 Ghz model from summer 2003 and it still runs flawlessly. Never had a single problem.

I'm just hoping that they put in a 64 MB video card. That's really the minimum these days, even though the emac is clearly not a gaming machine.

nek

Oct 5, 2004, 06:26 PM

They need to give Emac that fx5200 so they can move powermac and imac up with better video cards/chips, take your pick i could rattle off a half dozen that are better but we have ran that subject into the ground more then once. Give it the traditional moto bump-1.4 maybe 1.5 and you have a nice entry machine. In fact with some help from family we are getting my son a machine for christmas and a emac would be perfect.

I agree with putting the fx5200 with 64MB vram into the eMac (to run Core Image) along with 1.5GHz. It doesn't really need any other changes as a low-end mac.

The 15" and 17" Powerbooks have better graphics already, but there will likely be complaints anyway until they get updated. Maybe they will update the eMac to 1.4GHz or the Powerbooks will get a faster processor in the near future (a faster 7447?) to make everyone happy.

That would put the same graphics card in both eMac and iMac, which shouldn't be a problem with the iMac having a G5. I don't understand why the iMac doesn't have better graphics.

macridah

Oct 5, 2004, 06:42 PM

uh yeah .... even though this is try, i wouldn't be that excited unless the new emac changed from CRT to LCD.

Flying Llama

Oct 5, 2004, 07:05 PM

guess that dude from spain/italy didn't know what he was talking about... :rolleyes:

aswitcher

Oct 5, 2004, 07:53 PM

aliasfox

Oct 5, 2004, 08:37 PM

An option for an internal digital TV tuner would be nice for the eMac (and iMac) so that students could be an all in one cheap machine. Such an addition would probably have to wait for Tiger so that it could be part of the OS and maybe with tweak or additions to iLife apps. For a few hundred bucks this would be a killer addition I think...

You would think that the addition of a TV tuner would make the eMac into an awesome all-in-one: moderately powerful computer, moderately sized TV, DVD player/recorder, and with the addition of an iSub, a moderately decent sounding stereo. Of course, media center PCs haven't taken off, so I doubt that an eMac with TV tuner would. And yes, a combination TV/DVD/VCR/Stereo would be awesome for a dorm room or small apartment, especially if the unit *looked* like a TV, as the eMac most assuredly does.

Mainyehc

Oct 5, 2004, 09:03 PM

I don't think a LCD eMac will happen, maybe a sharper edged version of the current eMac so there is more continuity with the iPod.

:)

Now this is a curious point... I have a 3G iPod and a brand-new iMac G5; I never held a 1G or 2G iPod in my hands, but I've seen some photos of those, and I noticed that my iMac G5 looks a lot like those. Curiously, the eMac looks a lot like my 3G iPod/the new 4G iPod. Are you noticing the same design incoherence as I am?

First, the iPod had sharp edges, with that protruding clear plastic white on the inside;
at the same time, you had the old white iBook G3, with rounded edges, but made of that same white coated clear plastic;
and the first G4 iMac whith that white plastic monitor frame with clear plastic border.
Then, the iMac's monitor frame became double-layered, clear on the oudside, white on the inside, and the iBook G4 was made of all-white plastic; the eMac was clear plastic white on the inside, with rounded edges.
And the iPod's edges becomes rounded in its 3rd generation...
Now, the iMac G5 mimicks the 1G iPod's looks... Should this mean that older iPods are cooler than the new ones (lol) ?
Now, MHO: Products get updated in their own timings, so it's understandable that the whole Apple product line isn't aesthetically coherent at any given moment. As for that curious difference/similarity between the iMac/eMac/iBook/iPod lines, let it be (no Beatles pun intended :P). Laptops and mp3 players are supposed to be carried around. It was actually wise to sacrifice a little bit of coolness, I guess those sharp edges on the iPod got easily damaged over the time. Desktop computers, on the other hand, don't have to face such violent treatment as laptops and iPods... They can, and will look cool for many, many years, especially with those delightful sharp and clear edges (think of the Cube) ;) [edit: oops, I was forgetting the fact that eMacs are educational products, and are supposed to be sturdy... whatever....]
(now that I tkink of it, the original iPod was inspired by the Cube... This all-clear-and-white look started with the Cube. Praised be the Cube! LOL)

aafuss1

Oct 6, 2004, 01:49 AM

I'd like to see the maximum RAM amount icreased to 1.25GB/2GB and the 9200 with 64MB of VRAM.

Rod Rod

Oct 6, 2004, 03:51 AM

I'd like to see the maximum RAM amount icreased to 1.25GB/2GB and the 9200 with 64MB of VRAM.

well, you're one for two.

the current 1.25GHz eMac (released April 13, 2004) can take up to 2GB of RAM.

anyway why not set your sights higher for the video card wish? such as a Radeon 9600/9700... anyway I just wanted to clarify about the eMac's RAM ceiling.

QFace

Oct 6, 2004, 04:01 AM

In my opinion, the eMac was made really to continue the design of the original iMac. The all in one design is great for schools, and unlike the first LCD iMac, the eMac is far less fragile. The all in one design of the eMac is great for schools looking a sturdy computer that won't clutter up spaces. Unfortunately, the eMac is atrociously ugly... an updated eMac that resembled the old iMacs [but with larger flat CRTs] and came in various colors would boost eMac sales not only in schools, but for consumers looking for a simple, cheap desktop. So many people still love the design of the old iMacs, and would buy this computer simply for the look.

MacPhreak

Oct 6, 2004, 06:31 AM

I agree, if iam not mistaken its a tuned down 17" studio display and my now 4 year old display is doing great. Crts you dont have much to worry about and they last for years and years.......

The eMac's display is not a Studio Display. The eMac has a shadow mask display, which is why I won't buy one. Colors are washed out, and the display just isn't that sharp. Sorry, but after looking at Trinitron displays all my life, the eMac's display is abysmal; it really detracts from the 'wow' factor of OS X. Shadow mask displays can also have weird ghosting issues sometimes, but I haven't seen any on the various eMac's I've played with.

The Studio Displays were Trinitron/DiamondTron-type displays (Trinitron, I'm 90% sure of it). Much much sharper, and vivid colors.

ThomasW

Oct 6, 2004, 08:10 AM

I think the new eMac should come with an NVidia 5200 graphics card, because it's as cheap as the ATI 9200 and supports CoreImage (and the ATI 9200 does not).

vga4life

Oct 6, 2004, 08:54 AM

The eMac's display is not a Studio Display. The eMac has a shadow mask display, which is why I won't buy one.

It's true. However, you can attach any sort of monitor you want to an eMac. I run a 19" FD Trinitron CRT as the main display (at 1344 x 1008, 100Hz) and use the built-in CRT (at 1024x768, 89 Hz) as a secondary display. Great for notes, palettes, IM/mail windows, etc.

Once you go dual-monitor, you never go back. The spanning hack rules.
:cool:

-vga4life

Lord Bodak

Oct 6, 2004, 09:11 AM

You would think that the addition of a TV tuner would make the eMac into an awesome all-in-one: moderately powerful computer, moderately sized TV, DVD player/recorder, and with the addition of an iSub, a moderately decent sounding stereo. Of course, media center PCs haven't taken off, so I doubt that an eMac with TV tuner would. And yes, a combination TV/DVD/VCR/Stereo would be awesome for a dorm room or small apartment, especially if the unit *looked* like a TV, as the eMac most assuredly does.

Internal TV tuner is the only thing keeping me from dumping my Linux desktop. I have a PowerBook with an eyeTV, but it just doesn't compare to the internal TV tuner in my PC due to the latency and the need for having another box connected.

Put a TV tuner in the iMac and I'll buy one right now. Same would probably be true for the eMac.

Skiniftz

Oct 6, 2004, 10:58 AM

There better £$%@£%$'ing well not be a new eMac - I just bought 42 of them of which half are delivered already. :mad:

må¥å

Oct 6, 2004, 10:59 AM

There better £$%@£%$'ing well not be a new eMac - I just bought 42 of them of which half are delivered already. :mad:

I feel your pain. ;) :D

G4-power

Oct 6, 2004, 11:18 AM

There better £$%@£%$'ing well not be a new eMac - I just bought 42 of them of which half are delivered already. :mad:

Got them for some company/school? I'm pretty sure you don't use those all only yourself . :D

ijimk

Oct 6, 2004, 12:20 PM

Why 42? What is your use for 42 emacs?

Rod Rod

Oct 6, 2004, 12:24 PM

There better £$%@£%$'ing well not be a new eMac - I just bought 42 of them of which half are delivered already. :mad:

darnit, I just bought a 2005 Lotus Elise. they BETTER NOT make a 2006 model! I'm warning them ... :)

toughboy

Oct 6, 2004, 02:16 PM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

The old iMac, iLamp, is a very "liked" model and they cannot take the risk to harm the iMac G5 sells..

and plus, if eMac is going to be LCD headed, then it means that the cheapest mac will be above 1000 USD in United States and 1000 euro in Europe which can never ever compete with a custom-build chaisis only PC which never cost more than 600-700 with best price/performance configuration made.

I wished Apple could release a chaisis only mac (without screen -lcd or crt-) with dualcore G4 and good configured machine and with a price of a prescott P4 PC which is 700 or at most 800..

ijimk

Oct 6, 2004, 04:52 PM

I was thinking of buying my mom and dad one for christmas do you think this update will lower the price even more? like say below 799?

Doctor Q

Oct 6, 2004, 05:00 PM

I was thinking of buying my mom and dad one for christmas do you think this update will lower the price even more? like say below 799?If you are asking us to guess, I'd guess no. Apple hasn't pushed aggressively into the low-end market. I think they already consider the eMac to be their entry point, and are more likely to improve its specs than to reduce its price.

ijimk

Oct 6, 2004, 05:03 PM

Thanks Doc. apreciate the new perspective on that.

Doctor Q

Oct 6, 2004, 05:22 PM

Another point to keep in mind is that, if Apple offered the current eMac at a lower price and an improved eMac at the current price (just speculation, remember), you still might be better off getting the higher priced of the two. With more up-to-date specs, it'll be that much longer before it becomes obsolete for its purpose, whatever that is. Your parents probably aren't the likeliest candidates for constant upgrades to the latest and greatest state of the art computers, so you'll want this one to last them a while. They might upgrade RAM and/or disk space down the road, but it's not a good plan in the long run to buy a slower processor or stripped down configuration if they would expect to use the system for many years.

Mr. Anderson

Oct 6, 2004, 06:38 PM

They might upgrade RAM and/or disk space down the road, but it's not a good plan in the long run to buy a slower processor or stripped down configuration if they would expect to use the system for many years.

Especially with a new OS coming out around the corner that will require ever more of the computers processing power.

Speaking of which, I'd wonder if they'd also upgrade the video card so it will handle Tiger better.....

D

aswitcher

Oct 6, 2004, 07:40 PM

Speaking of which, I'd wonder if they'd also upgrade the video card so it will handle Tiger better.....

D

I think by the time Tiger appears ALL the lines will have 64 or better base as standard IF Apple want to really make their machines fly...which means they probably wont...

ijimk

Oct 6, 2004, 07:57 PM

jimsowden

Oct 6, 2004, 08:05 PM

I think by the time Tiger appears ALL the lines will have 64 or better base as standard IF Apple want to really make their machines fly...which means they probably wont...
0% chance. They have no reason. They may compile for different 32 and 64 bit versions, but an all 64bit line-up by the first half of 2006 is the absolute most wrong prediction ever.

aswitcher

Oct 6, 2004, 08:59 PM

0% chance. They have no reason. They may compile for different 32 and 64 bit versions, but an all 64bit line-up by the first half of 2006 is the absolute most wrong prediction ever.

Jim!

Not 64 biut - 64 MEG graphics cards :p

So any predictions on the new emac?

VAmin

Oct 6, 2004, 09:00 PM

Why 42? What is your use for 42 emacs?

Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?

Yvan256

Oct 6, 2004, 09:55 PM

Why 42? What is your use for 42 emacs?

Maybe he's trying to compute the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Phat_Pat

Oct 6, 2004, 10:14 PM

Maybe he's trying to compute the answer to life, the universe and everything.

maybe hes making a eMac bowling alley to show how bad these things need to be upgraded...

ohhh the pain!!!

Side note: i can already see the new slogon for the New eMac: "The only Apple desktop still using a G4"

yeah.... rigggghhhhtttt :rolleyes:

MacSA

Oct 7, 2004, 04:27 AM

With the eMac, iBook and Powerbooks nearing the end of their current product cycles (at least according to the buyers guide) I'd have thought we would have started seeing a few rumours starting to surface from some of the more credible rumour sites by now. :confused:

iHack

Oct 7, 2004, 04:30 AM

Am I the only one wondering why the page 2 article says the anonymous report is from Italy while the first post in this thread says it's form Spain?

MacSA

Oct 7, 2004, 04:32 AM

Am I the only one wondering why the page 2 article says the anonymous report is from Italy while the first post in this thread says it's form Spain?

Probably because the rumour was false lol

Skiniftz

Oct 7, 2004, 04:45 AM

darnit, I just bought a 2005 Lotus Elise. they BETTER NOT make a 2006 model! I'm warning them ... :)

But the thing is, you would have a good idea of when the new model is coming out and make your purchasing decision.

My problems with Apple as a supplier are:

We have no clue about when new models are (or if) going to be released. We could buy a LOT of Macs then find out next week there is a new model. Note that they announce new models months ahead of delivery time so you can't take advantage of swapping it for the new model.

Deliveries take forever.

They often screw up the address. Last G5 I ordered from them I watched the couriers web page as it went from Ireland > Holland > Liverpool > Holland > Ireland. We asked what happened and they said they didn't know. We checked the address they sent it to and although we had filled in everything absolutely correctly, they despatched it to the name of our purchasing lady, then the street name, then the postcode. The poor courier guy was looking up and down the street for a business named like our purchaser, however obviously (or rather fortunately) there is none.

We complained that this had happened, they said they would sort it out.

Then they did the exact same thing AGAIN.

Honestly - forget market share / Microsoft's marketing and so on - if Apple could simply deliver the kit they sell within a reasonable timeframe they would be market leaders.

fixyourthinking

Oct 7, 2004, 07:34 AM

I personally think they should sell the old iMac as the new eMac. Afterall, the emac adopted the old iMac design, why not do the same now?

I second this motion - but it would hurt sales of the iMac G5 - so I doubt it would happen.

The last iMac was a far more ergonomic and space saving design vs the new iMac and was a lot more radical - an iMac G5 looks like a monitor - an iMac G4 was recognizable from a mile away - plus I just liked the full range of movement with the arm.

fixyourthinking

Oct 7, 2004, 07:38 AM

But the thing is, you would have a good idea of when the new model is coming out and make your purchasing decision.

My problems with Apple as a supplier are:

We have no clue about when new models are (or if) going to be released. We could buy a LOT of Macs then find out next week there is a new model. Note that they announce new models months ahead of delivery time so you can't take advantage of swapping it for the new model.

Deliveries take forever.

They often screw up the address. Last G5 I ordered from them I watched the couriers web page as it went from Ireland > Holland > Liverpool > Holland > Ireland. We asked what happened and they said they didn't know. We checked the address they sent it to and although we had filled in everything absolutely correctly, they despatched it to the name of our purchasing lady, then the street name, then the postcode. The poor courier guy was looking up and down the street for a business named like our purchaser, however obviously (or rather fortunately) there is none.

We complained that this had happened, they said they would sort it out.

Then they did the exact same thing AGAIN.

Honestly - forget market share / Microsoft's marketing and so on - if Apple could simply deliver the kit they sell within a reasonable timeframe they would be market leaders.

I suppose you are pretending to be a reseller. If Apple sells you stock, then releases new models they offer incentives to get rid of the "older model" - + all you have to do is offer AppleCare with the units at cut rate prices. In the case of the last iMac revision - the price of the iMac G4 20" actually went up in resale value.

fixyourthinking

Oct 7, 2004, 07:42 AM

The eMac's display is not a Studio Display. The eMac has a shadow mask display, which is why I won't buy one. Colors are washed out, and the display just isn't that sharp. Sorry, but after looking at Trinitron displays all my life, the eMac's display is abysmal; it really detracts from the 'wow' factor of OS X. Shadow mask displays can also have weird ghosting issues sometimes, but I haven't seen any on the various eMac's I've played with.

The Studio Displays were Trinitron/DiamondTron-type displays (Trinitron, I'm 90% sure of it). Much much sharper, and vivid colors.

The eMac displays are actually some of the most gorgeous displays I have EVER come across. They make the value of the eMac (and sales presentation) really shine.

They are Sony Trinitron technology/and Apple Spec licensed to LG Philips - the cinema displays can't hold a candle to the color seperation on an eMac.

vga4life

Oct 7, 2004, 09:04 AM

They are Sony Trinitron technology/and Apple Spec licensed to LG Philips - the cinema displays can't hold a candle to the color seperation on an eMac.

Color is good on the eMac display (when calibrated), but it's definitely not an aperture grille (aka "Trinitron") picture tube. It's not even a particularly high-quality shadow mask display - it has a large dot pitch, has (relatively) poor focus in the corners, and is VERY prone to Moire patterns, even when not playing sounds from the internal speakers. Just because the front glass is flat doesn't make it a Trinitron.

I don't mean to make it sound awful - it's adequately sharp at 1024x768 - but I wouldn't be satisfied with my eMac if I had to use the internal display alone, rather than with a real 19" FD Trinitron tube as the external (and primary) display.

-vga4life

~Shard~

Oct 7, 2004, 09:19 AM

Color is good on the eMac display (when calibrated), but it's definitely not an aperture grille (aka "Trinitron") picture tube. It's not even a particularly high-quality shadow mask display - it has a large dot pitch, has (relatively) poor focus in the corners, and is VERY prone to Moire patterns, even when not playing sounds from the internal speakers. Just because the front glass is flat doesn't make it a Trinitron.

I don't mean to make it sound awful - it's adequately sharp at 1024x768 - but I wouldn't be satisfied with my eMac if I had to use the internal display alone, rather than with a real 19" FD Trinitron tube as the external (and primary) display.

-vga4life

You know, Apple could end all of this silly "color" debate quite simply - revert the new eMac back to good old black & white! :p :cool:

MacPhreak

Oct 7, 2004, 09:55 AM

The eMac displays are actually some of the most gorgeous displays I have EVER come across. They make the value of the eMac (and sales presentation) really shine.

They are Sony Trinitron technology/and Apple Spec licensed to LG Philips - the cinema displays can't hold a candle to the color seperation on an eMac.

According to Apple, they're shadow-mask:
"The built-in video display uses a 17-inch CRT (16-inch viewable diagonal). The CRT uses shadow-mask technology and has a dot pitch of 0.25 mm."

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Developer_Notes/Macintosh_CPUs-G4/eMac/3Input-Output/chapter_4_section_13.html

MacPhreak

Oct 7, 2004, 09:56 AM

You know, Apple could end all of this silly "color" debate quite simply - revert the new eMac back to good old black & white! :p :cool:

I'd buy one :D

MacSA

Oct 7, 2004, 10:44 AM

I don't mean to make it sound awful - it's adequately sharp at 1024x768 - but I wouldn't be satisfied with my eMac if I had to use the internal display alone, rather than with a real 19" FD Trinitron tube as the external (and primary) display.

-vga4life

And how much does one of those cost? Probably as much as an eMac, or pretty close.

vga4life

Oct 7, 2004, 10:56 AM

And how much does one of those cost? Probably as much as an eMac, or pretty close.
In the neighborhood of $250, and worth every penny.

-vga4life

fixyourthinking

Oct 7, 2004, 11:28 AM

The Apple Special Deals section may be an indicator of something:

They cleared out a TON of different configs of eMacs this morning for $499-$699

I bought 2.

The best deal is the one without an optical drive or modem for $529 - you can get the same drive that they use in the combo drive eMacs for $33 shipped from many online sources.

vga4life

Oct 7, 2004, 11:45 AM

The best deal is the one without an optical drive or modem for $529 - you can get the same drive that they use in the combo drive eMacs for $33 shipped from many online sources.

I'd only be concerned that the no-optical model might not have a hinged door to allow the installation of an internal drive. Let us know if it does.

-vga4life

solvs

Oct 7, 2004, 03:49 PM

so as of now what macs are able to run tiger? Is it G5 tower, G5 imac, G4 tower, G4 power book? any others? if not can we expect the ibooks will support tiger on an upgrade? same question applies to the emacs.
Almost everything that Panther supports, Tiger will support. It's just higher end features that might not work so well. Just like with Panther and Jaguar with things like Quartz Exreme, it will just scale it back based on CPU and graphics card.

maya

Oct 7, 2004, 03:58 PM

What if Apple put a 15 inch LCD screen for the new eMacs and covered the front with plastic as they do for the iPod and iMac G5. Have the new eMac with no Optical drive just a bare bone, surfing, email, work on office documents, and iLife (except iDVD) and sell it for $599 USD.

No optical Drive means it will be smaller, a bit, cheaper, need an iPod or USB flash disk to save and put work on to the desktop and it can NetBoot.

Also have the option for the display to be turned off and allow it to be used with some other display. Better yet toss the display and you have a cheap under $500 USD G4 for the masses. Since I see so many people complain over we want a headless Mac. ;) :)

MacSA

Oct 7, 2004, 03:58 PM

In the neighborhood of $250, and worth every penny.

-vga4life

$250 for a 19" monitor ? lol Maybe where you live.

maya

Oct 7, 2004, 04:03 PM

Almost everything that Panther supports, Tiger will support. It's just higher end features that might not work so well. Just like with Panther and Jaguar with things like Quartz Exreme, it will just scale it back based on CPU and graphics card.

Quartz Extreme has been replaced by Core Image

If you don't have a supporting Core Image video card, it won't install it. Same with Core Audio no supporting processor speed it will not install it.

TIger will seem a lot like Panther, with a few added features, if you are running on an old mac. You will have all the usually GUI goodies, along with spotlight, however NO Core Image and Audio. :(

maya

Oct 7, 2004, 04:04 PM

$250 for a 19" monitor ? lol Maybe where you live.

He has forgotten to add the VAT :)

toughboy

Oct 7, 2004, 05:14 PM

Quartz Extreme has been replaced by Core Image

If you don't have a supporting Core Image video card, it won't install it. Same with Core Audio no supporting processor speed it will not install it.

TIger will seem a lot like Panther, with a few added features, if you are running on an old mac. You will have all the usually GUI goodies, along with spotlight, however NO Core Image and Audio. :(

what is a "supporting Core Image" video card?

wrldwzrd89

Oct 7, 2004, 05:18 PM

what is a "supporting Core Image" video card?
Look here (http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/core.html) toughboy for the details on this.

Santaduck

Oct 7, 2004, 05:23 PM

it's "tomorrow"...

wrldwzrd89

Oct 7, 2004, 05:31 PM

it's "tomorrow"...
This has already been mentioned earlier in the thread...

I never thought that the purported source of the rumor was at all accurate, so I suspected that no update would occur.

fixyourthinking

Oct 7, 2004, 09:32 PM

I'd only be concerned that the no-optical model might not have a hinged door to allow the installation of an internal drive. Let us know if it does.

-vga4life

Yes it does - I buy them all the time - it is secured from the inside with a little tab though.

Skiniftz

Oct 8, 2004, 01:02 AM

I suppose you are pretending to be a reseller. If Apple sells you stock, then releases new models they offer incentives to get rid of the "older model" - + all you have to do is offer AppleCare with the units at cut rate prices. In the case of the last iMac revision - the price of the iMac G4 20" actually went up in resale value.

I'm not "pretending" to be anything - we buy lots of computers and use them, and Apple totally sucks as a supplier. It really is that simple.

VanFruniken

Oct 8, 2004, 02:51 AM

I have an iBook and an iMac G4.
Both allow me to work with the screen right above the keyboard.

If the screen is any higher, as is the case with the new iMacG5 and the current eMac, then I will have to constantly raise my head. The screen on those machines is just too high.

Apple, please.

p.s. The standalone aluminum screens are OK in this respect

p.s. Another much needed feature is to quiet down the eMac! People want their eMacs in the living room. Currently, the eMac is way too noisy to become part of the furniture. Excellent advertising for Apple this would be though.

G4-power

Oct 8, 2004, 06:43 AM

If the screen is any higher, as is the case with the new iMacG5 and the current eMac, then I will have to constantly raise my head. The screen on those machines is just too high.

Yep, this is the problem my dad had too, so we got a new office desk that has a deepening for the display. A little pic of the table (http://isku.fi/iskuasp/kuvat.nsf/(AttachmentbyID)/FEA22D8EBAC1AB83C2256E78004195A3/$FILE/2052_Matrix_I_desk_GA18_36_me.jpg)
I heard that the display top should be about 6 cm (approx. 2 inches) lower than your eye level, or lower, when sitting straight.

The iMac would fit in the deepening, but everyone with focal lenses can't go buying new office desks. So the display adjustability was clearly a minus on the iMac G5. I think that they could've made it possible to slide it up and down but they didn't do it for some reason (cost for one). Good thing is, if you can spend some $$$ on it, there is the VESA adapter and there are lots of VESA compliant adjustable stands.

osprey76

Oct 8, 2004, 09:52 AM

Rod Rod

Oct 8, 2004, 01:39 PM

I saw it posted earlier in the thread, but no one seems to have taken any note of it. The "new" eMac is using a Radeon 9200 video card. As I recall, the "old" one used a Radeon 7500. Also, didn't they bump up the RAM speed? Before the eMac used PC133, now DDR 333. Seems new (though, with the same processor) to me.

Those improvements were noticed back in April when the current model was introduced.

This rumor is about an improvement to the April 2004 model, which hasn't yet been released.

osprey76

Oct 8, 2004, 09:39 PM

Those improvements were noticed back in April when the current model was introduced.

This rumor is about an improvement to the April 2004 model, which hasn't yet been released.

Oh, I guess I'm behind on eMacs then! I thought the 7500 was the video card until I read the current specs recently.

aldo

Oct 10, 2004, 07:26 AM

If they let the eMac display run 1280x960 at 85Hz, I'd buy one. 75Hz gives me horrible headaches. Even my 4 year old 17" CRT can run 1280x1024 (and 960) " 85Hz.

PS: I just bought a Hansol 930D monitor for £110, inc vat and delivery.

jared_kipe

Oct 10, 2004, 12:18 PM

The eMac is such a work hoarse machine for apple. I think they could sell so many more if they either lowered their price or upgraded their graphics cards. Of course a 1.5GHz G4 + fx 5200 or rad 9600 would be a sweet spot. And of course a G5 would be even sweeter.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 10, 2004, 12:27 PM

sord

Oct 10, 2004, 09:58 PM

Here my prediction, new eMacs November 25th, and new iBooks along with PowerBooks when Tiger comes out (PBs with dual core G4, iBooks with 1.5GHz G4) which I guess will happen February 16th.

aswitcher

Oct 11, 2004, 12:54 AM

I will be really disappointed if any new Apple Mac comes out without as CoreImage compatible video card...

MacSA

Oct 11, 2004, 05:36 AM

I will be really disappointed if any new Apple Mac comes out without as CoreImage compatible video card...

It might depend on when Tiger is actually released. We might see a revison in the next month and perhaps one more revison in the first half of next year which will come with Tiger pre-installed and with hardware to fully exploit what Tiger has to offer. Same with the iBooks too.

aswitcher

Oct 11, 2004, 05:42 AM

It might depend on when Tiger is actually released. We might see a revison in the next month and perhaps one more revison in the first half of next year which will come with Tiger pre-installed and with hardware to fully exploit what Tiger has to offer. Same with the iBooks too.

Sure Apple might rationalise this way but that would be the sucky thing to do to customers now they have made such a song and dance about Tiger and CoreImage. How would you feel buying a new eMac/iBook this week to know that in within 8 months it will be superceded by a model with the real graphics card...

maya

Oct 11, 2004, 11:00 PM

The new upcoming Updated Apple Line will look like so:

eMac = will have the last iMac G4 guts.

iBook = will have the recent PowerBook guts.

PowerBook = well this is a mystery, unless FreeScale and Apple has G4 2.0 GHz or higher chips in house.

That way all models will be Core Image compatible. Now what to do about the 64-bit issue, another revision next year. :-)

This is my take on the update hardware.

MacSA

Oct 12, 2004, 05:03 PM

...maybe next year?

New versions of Apple's educational eMac are reportedly in the pipeline, though their arrival remains a mystery.

According to sources, Apple has been developing a redesigned eMac based around a G5 processor and more robust graphics processor, but may still choose to introduce one more incarnation of the eMac G4 due to current cost efficiency and supply concerns associated with the G5.

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=687

wrldwzrd89

Oct 12, 2004, 05:05 PM

...somethings coming:

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=687

New versions of Apple's educational eMac are reportedly in the pipeline, though their arrival remains a mystery.
That's good news - but what if it turns out to be a G5-based eMac and the PowerBook is still stuck on a G4? Won't all hell break loose all over the Mac user community?

MacSA

Oct 12, 2004, 05:13 PM

That's good news - but what if it turns out to be a G5-based eMac and the PowerBook is still stuck on a G4? Won't all hell break loose all over the Mac user community?

Those are due for updates too, it's strange that there have been so few hardware rumours of late - maybe something big is coming :eek:

wrldwzrd89

Oct 12, 2004, 05:19 PM

aswitcher

Oct 12, 2004, 05:22 PM

...somethings coming:

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=687

New versions of Apple's educational eMac are reportedly in the pipeline, though their arrival remains a mystery.

Wow they are talking possible G5...if this happens this year I will be surprised.

A 64 vram, coreimage comptable video card, will hopefully appear.

Wonder if they can make the screen better...

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 12, 2004, 05:23 PM

MacSA

Oct 12, 2004, 05:25 PM

Wow they are talking possible G5...if this happens this year I will be surprised.

A 64 vram, coreimage comptable video card, will hopefully appear.

Wonder if they can make the screen better...

Yeah exciting stuff...if as the article states they've been working on it for 10 months, must be some major changes.

wrldwzrd89

Oct 12, 2004, 05:26 PM

I guess robust graphics cpu means a fx5200? :D A Fx5200 and 1.5 G4 would be a nice entry model. they do that and ill buy one for the boy. Emac is still a best buy in my book.
Apple LOVES that GPU, don't they? Besides, it's supported by Core Image, and my iMac G4 has one - so I'm happy for right now. The only bummer about the eMac is the low pre-installed RAM, but that can easily be fixed.

aswitcher

Oct 12, 2004, 05:29 PM

Yeah exciting stuff...if as the article states they've been working on it for 10 months, must be some major changes.

Yeah, you gotta wonder what they have been up to. Obviously for the edu market they have to keep it cheap and simple...so no ipod like control wheels built into front below the monitor or anything tricky like that.

I really hope they can improve the screen, higher refresh...

And, whoa, if they offer a digital TV card (and software), this machine will really stand out...but canablise iMac sales...

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 12, 2004, 05:30 PM

Tell you the truth i would be thrilled to see a fx5200 64 show up in the next emac. As long as it can play world of warcraft the boy will be in heaven.

aswitcher

Oct 12, 2004, 05:33 PM

Tell you the truth i would be thrilled to see a fx5200 64 show up in the next emac. As long as it can play world of warcraft the boy will be in heaven.

Does anyone know if they can improve the screen from its present form. I have read some compaints and personally perceive a flicker and eye strain the the mac store. If they could improve the CRT and rev up the guts it could be a nice second machine...

Rod Rod

Oct 12, 2004, 05:33 PM

That's good news - but what if it turns out to be a G5-based eMac and the PowerBook is still stuck on a G4? Won't all hell break loose all over the Mac user community?

well, yeah, but only among people who don't understand the difference between desktops and laptops... and people who think it's cool to hobble some machines for product differentiation.

until there is a practical, low-power, mobile version of the G5, the PB will remain a G4.

in the mean time, it's not very bright to wish Apple delayed the G5 iMac until after the PB went G5. it's also pretty dim to be disappointed if the eMac gets a G5 before the PB.

if the eMac gets a G5 before the PB, well what follows is very predictable. half the resulting posts will be cry-babyish "waaaah the 'PRO' laptop is lagging behind the 'lowliest consumer' machine / oh no the sky is falling / Apple how could you." the other half will be happy to finally buy an eMac for their mom/dad/child/own self, and appreciate Apple a lot more.

it makes no sense to hold back on product releases for one line for the sake of another line. let each model develop at its own pace. otherwise all product development will seriously slow down.

aswitcher

Oct 12, 2004, 05:35 PM

if the eMac gets a G5 before the PB, well what follows is very predictable. half the resulting posts will be cry-babyish "waaaah the 'PRO' laptop is lagging behind the 'lowliest consumer' machine / oh no the sky is falling / Apple how could you." the other half will be happy to finally buy an eMac for their mom/dad/child/own self, and appreciate Apple a lot more.

it makes no sense to hold back on product releases for one line for the sake of another line. let each model develop at its own pace. otherwise all product development will seriously slow down.

Yeah, just look at the Windows world and desktops outstrip laptops..."you can't change the laws of physics"...

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 12, 2004, 05:38 PM

Rod Rod

Oct 12, 2004, 05:40 PM

This is most interesting news. Won't every PowerBook owner complain if eMacs get G5 processors and they don't? That makes me wonder if a PowerBook update is also imminent...

I'm a PowerBook owner and I won't complain if the eMac gets a G5 processor before the PB does.

I understand the difference between desktops and laptops. Desktops will always be faster than laptops. That's just life and physics.

aswitcher

Oct 12, 2004, 05:41 PM

Why not a slightly smaller case thats also lighter housing say a 15" LCD and a bumped G4 and FX5200. thats what i predict unless ibm had a bunch of chips(G5)they could only run at 1.4. Iam expecting a 1.4 or 1.5 G4 mated to this very inexpensive video chip. still better then integrated garbage. This makes for a terrific student machine and hope they do this. no more 32mb video apple.

I would love them to go a 15.4" WS LCD, just like the PBs. But even with a G4 its a risky proposition. It will be more expensive (I guess) and likely will canabalise iMac sales...

Mr. Anderson

Oct 12, 2004, 05:49 PM

The one point the article makes, and its a good one, that will probably keep the G4 in the eMac one more revision is the availability of the G5 chip.

The question remains, though, is there any room for a speed increase on those G4 processors that would make an update more appealing than spending the money on an iMac and get a G5 instead.

D

Dont Hurt Me

Oct 12, 2004, 05:50 PM

I dont think you will see a G5 Emac for awhile. G4 still has a little ways to go as a entry machine for the Mac and i expect something big and new for powerbook in the next 6 months. Apple going to longer product update times is not good for the Mac consumer. It makes their supply problems worse because people will wait for the important update. Man in the Pc world updates are every few months it seems, but apple is going the opposite direction with longer update cycles. This isnt good in my H.O. Still am very interested on where the emac is going. Very nice machine. If apple would ever let all desktops go with upgradeable videocards their sales would increase across all the lines. But iam just a yahoo in Backward S.C. :D

quagmire

Oct 12, 2004, 08:33 PM

Could the new eMac(G5?) be the mysterious Powermac 9,1?

GFLPraxis

Oct 12, 2004, 08:36 PM

Whattabout...
A G5 eMac, underclocked to 1.4 GHz?

MacSA

Oct 13, 2004, 03:44 AM

Hey everyone -
As a service to fellow member MacSA, I'm notifiying everyone of this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=92711) MacSA started regarding the possibility of a new eMac so we don't pollute this thread.

.......hmmmmmmmm It seems someone deleted my thread.

Rod Rod

Oct 13, 2004, 05:14 AM

.......hmmmmmmmm It seems someone deleted my thread.

kinda sorta ... it seems like a moderator merged that thread with this one. it's one of those calls mods have to make.

- Rod (not a Mod) Rod

Zigster

Oct 13, 2004, 06:18 PM

If there is a G5 emac with a 64mg video card, you will have one switcher right here.

Zig

~Shard~

Oct 13, 2004, 06:26 PM

If there is a G5 emac with a 64mg video card, you will have one switcher right here.

Zig

Sorry, but I don't really see that happening. Apple just put the G5 in the iMac (with delays nonetheless), and due to the G5 chip supply issues I don't think Apple would release a G5 eMac just yet - the extra demand would spread things too thin and Apple would run into issues again. eMacs will eventually get the G5, but I don't think for a while yet.

How about switching to the new G5 iMac instead? ;)

Zigster

Oct 13, 2004, 06:36 PM

MacSA

Oct 13, 2004, 07:47 PM

Bet you 5.00 bucks via paypal that the next emac is a g5. The last emac was just as fast as the previous imac, right? The major diff being...LCD vs CRT. I'm just going to use it for video editing. Still have to use a pc laptop for work.

The AppleInsider article refers to "slight external and major internal modifications to one of the company's current offerings " maybe they are making room inside the eMac for a G5 chip.

thatwendigo

Oct 13, 2004, 08:35 PM

The AppleInsider article refers to "slight external and major internal modifications to one of the company's current offerings " maybe they are making room inside the eMac for a G5 chip.

There's no way in hell the current eMac would accept a 970 at any kind of comparable clock to the iMacs. The space inside is smaller than that of the iMac, tighter, and has far less opportunity for cooling. In fact, it uses a single heatpipe to a fan in the back to conduct processor and optical drive heat away from the CRT.

The MPC7455a that's in the eMac has a predecessor that tops out at 19.9 watts typical consumption when the voltage is cranked all the way up. Interestingly, the chart provides no mention of a part that clocks like Apple's, and they make no mention of the specifics of a chip they likely manufactured mostly for Cupertino, as a sideline of the main body of 744x chips. By comparison, even a 1.6ghz 970 puts out more than that, and the iMac needs three dedicated blowers to maintain even remote cooling with any hint of quiet operation.

~Shard~

Oct 13, 2004, 10:41 PM

Bet you 5.00 bucks via paypal that the next emac is a g5. The last emac was just as fast as the previous imac, right? The major diff being...LCD vs CRT. I'm just going to use it for video editing. Still have to use a pc laptop for work.

Well, if the eMacs aren't actually updated for another 8 months, then perhaps at that stage of things it could be an G5, when the chip supply issues are better in hand. But if we see a new eMac even with the next 4 months I'd bet it won't be a G5.

aswitcher

Oct 13, 2004, 11:30 PM

By comparison, even a 1.6ghz 970 puts out more than that, and the iMac needs three dedicated blowers to maintain even remote cooling with any hint of quiet operation.

Yeah G4 for all the reasons mentioned is the go...major internal changes...mmm...better graphics card...better placement of BT, WiFi... new ports or port placement...faster cpu of course with better cooling...

What else...?

Zigster

Oct 14, 2004, 11:21 AM

Maybe you guys are right, but I find it hard to believe Apple wants g4 student machines running their new 10.4+ OS...you're trying to convert these kids, not make them laugh at how slow it is.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 14, 2004, 11:25 AM

Maybe you guys are right, but I find it hard to believe Apple wants g4 student machines running their new 10.4+ OS...you're trying to convert these kids, not make them laugh at how slow it is.
1.5GHz G4 > 1.5GHz G5

tech4all

Oct 14, 2004, 11:52 AM

1.5GHz G4 > 1.5GHz G5

Are you saying that a 1.5G4 is better than a 1.5Ghz G5? Or that it would be wiser to give students a 1.5Ghz G4 rather than a 1.5Ghz G5?

~Shard~

Oct 14, 2004, 12:23 PM

Are you saying that a 1.5G4 is better than a 1.5Ghz G5? Or that it would be wiser to give students a 1.5Ghz G4 rather than a 1.5Ghz G5?

That's the way I read what he' saying - either that or he needs a refresher course in grade 4 math... ;)

The only thing I can think of that he might mean is that a student may not "need" the power of a G5, so therefore a G4 would be better suited for them. But that's kinda stretching it... ;)

johnnyjibbs

Oct 14, 2004, 01:17 PM

I was just saying that a 1.5GHz G4 is proabably faster than a 1.5GHz G5, or certainly a G5 that has been crippled in terms of front side bus, etc (like iMac and eMac will be). There's probably not that much in it, but I remember serveral benchmarks (not just dual-processor-aware tests) showing that a dual 1.25 G4 was faster than a single G5 1.6 in many cases.

It would be interesting to see if that guy from Japan opens up the eMac G5 when it comes to see if it is a 970 or indeed a 74xx.

NNO-Stephen

Oct 15, 2004, 12:35 PM

wrldwzrd89

Oct 15, 2004, 12:46 PM

umm... there can't be a "G5" with a 744x part number.
Uhh...I think you misinterpreted the post you quoted. If the new eMac is G4-based, it will use one of the 74xx family of processors. If it is G5-based, it will use a processor from the 970 family.

thatwendigo

Oct 15, 2004, 12:47 PM

umm... there can't be a "G5" with a 744x part number.

For someone that waltzes into a thread and starts telling other people that they don't know what they're talking about, that's a rather ironic thing for you to say. The "G4" is a marketing term that has been used for the 74xx series of processors, and the "G5" is a marketing term for the 970 family of processors.

Nothing but marketing is involved, and there is no magical barrier keeping Apple from calling a 7448 1.8ghz part the G23 if they want to.

NNO-Stephen

Oct 15, 2004, 12:51 PM

For someone that waltzes into a thread and starts telling other people that they don't know what they're talking about, that's a rather ironic thing for you to say. The "G4" is a marketing term that has been used for the 74xx series of processors, and the "G5" is a marketing term for the 970 family of processors.

Nothing but marketing is involved, and there is no magical barrier keeping Apple from calling a 7448 1.8ghz part the G23 if they want to.

true, except you forgot one major factor.

common sense.

and there's nothing wrong with lurking.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 01:47 PM

umm... there can't be a "G5" with a 744x part number.
Not true. The G5 can be whatever Apple wants it to be. (It's just a brand name. E.g. if those IBM G3s with Alti-vec ever came out and were better than a G4, Apple would NOT call them PowerBook G3s).

NNO-Stephen

Oct 15, 2004, 01:51 PM

Not true. The G5 can be whatever Apple wants it to be. (It's just a brand name. E.g. if those IBM G3s with Alti-vec ever came out and were better than a G4, Apple would NOT call them PowerBook G3s).

I understand this. but those were abandoned a while ago AFAIK.

and yes, apple CAN name their **** whatever they want. but guided by common sense, they won't make the 74xx family of processors a G5. why? because freescale won't change them to the point where Apple would consider a change and they still keep the 74xx series going. This is evident in the naming scheme for the dual core G4s from Freescale, while they kept the 74xx scheme alive for the 7448.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 01:54 PM

I understand this. but those were abandoned a while ago AFAIK.

and yes, apple CAN name their **** whatever they want. but guided by common sense, they won't make the 74xx family of processors a G5. why? because freescale won't change them to the point where Apple would consider a change and they still keep the 74xx series going. This is evident in the naming scheme for the dual core G4s from Freescale, while they kept the 74xx scheme alive for the 7448.
I'd imagine they may decide to call the Freescale dual core G4 a "G4+" at the very least. But I wouldn't expect this to be the chip that Apple puts in the eMac at any stage. That will go to the 970, whether at the next rev or the rev afterwards.

NNO-Stephen

Oct 15, 2004, 01:56 PM

I'd imagine they may decide to call the Freescale dual core G4 a "G4+" at the very least. But I wouldn't expect this to be the chip that Apple puts in the eMac at any stage. That will go to the 970, whether at the next rev or the rev afterwards.

I agree.

although the current G4 is the G4e, but nobody really calls it that.

Yvan256

Oct 25, 2004, 09:06 AM

I agree.

although the current G4 is the G4e, but nobody really calls it that.

Why is the current G4 a "G4e"? What's different from a "regular G4"?

As for the new eMac using that "G4+" (from Freescale) I really doubt it. Apple would be wiser to "recycle" the low-speed G5's into the eMac (it moves all desktops to a G5, and lower the G5 costs overall since they can now use G5's that won't run at 1.6GHz+ for the iMac/PowerMac. Cooling isn't an issue either with the eMac, there's a lot of empty space in such a design).

wrldwzrd89

Oct 25, 2004, 12:10 PM

Why is the current G4 a "G4e"? What's different from a "regular G4"?

As for the new eMac using that "G4+" (from Freescale) I really doubt it. Apple would be wiser to "recycle" the low-speed G5's into the eMac (it moves all desktops to a G5, and lower the G5 costs overall since they can now use G5's that won't run at 1.6GHz+ for the iMac/PowerMac. Cooling isn't an issue either with the eMac, there's a lot of empty space in such a design).
Look here (http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/cpu/p4andg4e.ars/1) for details on the G4e and a comparison with the Pentium 4.

mactechuk

Nov 8, 2004, 05:36 PM

Apple really need to do something when Dell are offering in the UK a PC with DVD-RW and a 15" flat screen for £499 inc Tax and delivery.

Why would someone on a lower income buy a Mac when they can get a PC at this sort of price?

Another issue (in the UK at least) is educational software. There is no point in having an "e"Mac when there is no software available that supports the national curriculum.

MacTech

Curnsie

Nov 10, 2004, 01:53 PM

When are Apple going to smell the coffee and take note of the 'headless mac' outcry.

I'm a recent switcher who frankly didn't know what Mac to buy - I was sure I wasn't going to spend 2 grand on a G5 Pmac! I bought an eMac which is great, but the more I have learned about Macs, I've realised that I would like a few very simple options:

1. I want to upgrade the video card when I want to what I want.
2. I would like to upgrade my Hard Drive with out needing a degree in electro physics.
3. I would like to change my optical drive (see option 2)
4. I don't want to buy another screen, LCD or CRT.

There, its that simple... if such a machine (I'd accept a G4 processor) where built by Apple (sold for around £500 basic spec, with upgrade potential), and it overtook the sales of the G5 iMac and G5 PowerMac, I think all this would prove is that there is something wrong with Apple's current product placing. This machine would certainly attract a lot of windoze users... don't worry Apple, you can still create a masterpeice of industrial design.

Thats my 2 cents worth.

Curnsie.