Buying an eMac ?

[PLan]

I`m completely new to Macs and currently have a second hand 450 MHz PowerMac running OS X 10.3 . About the only new Mac I can afford (in the U.K.) is the bottom end eMac. Are there any good reasons to avoid buying an eMac ? For instance are any new models going to be launched before the end of the year ? Will the eMac start using G5s, or are any other significant hardware events on the horizon for the bottom end of the range ?

Essentially are there any good reasons not to get an eMac !

 

[neoelectronaut]

I`m completely new to Macs and currently have a second hand 450 MHz PowerMac running OS X 10.3 . About the only new Mac I can afford (in the U.K.) is the bottom end eMac. Are there any good reasons to avoid buying an eMac ? For instance are any new models going to be launched before the end of the year ? Will the eMac start using G5s, or are any other significant hardware events on the horizon for the bottom end of the range ?

Essentially are there any good reasons not to get an eMac !

If you don't plan on throwing any high-end games at stupid-high resolutions, or the lack of expandability doesn't bother you...

I say hell, go for it.

 

[PLan]

If you don't plan on throwing any high-end games at stupid-high resolutions, or the lack of expandability doesn't bother you...

I say hell, go for it.

How difficult is it to install a bigger hard drive yourself or upgrade the DVD/CD-RW combo to a DVD writer (on the bottom end model) ? I`ve built PCs before if that would be any help.

I don`t suppose there is any chance of Apple coming out with a monitor-less eMac - where you provide your own display ?

 

[OziMac]

Mate, do yourself a favour and buy an eMac and a PS2. You will not regret it, you will be able to run video/image editing, office and other productivity applications - AND you'll be able to play all the games you want

I bought a refurbed eMac which I subsequently upgraded (felt better about doing it to one of those than buying a new one and voiding the warranty).

There are several pages around the net on upgrading eMacs - you should be able to upgrade the hard drive and the optical drive fairly easily, and if you are quite handy with electronics (handier than I am!) you can even do overclock the processor on some (not sure about the newer ones). Of course, the usual disclaimers apply - be careful and prepared!

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eMac/eMac-upgrade.html
http://www.wilko.com/emac/
(though note that the disassembly of the newer revision eMas is slightly different - no need to remove the fan first, just open the metal shield).

However, don't forget that more memory is always a bonus. Try and get up to the 1GB limit, you'll be grateful.

 

[geese]

Bought one very recently..

I had similar reservations a month or 2 ago when i bought mine, but I love it now. I got it on educational discount (if you know anyone whos a student or teacher, buy it from them, its cheaper).

The CRT screen is good, its fast, the newer eMacs have USB 2 ports as well. It does look a little odd, but it still looks neat.

I'm sure everyone else here will agree, you need to have at least 80GB HD, and 512MB ram. Thats what I've got and its great. If you're a bit short on cash, you can get the older ones on eBay for £400-500.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

You could always get a refurb eMac with the SDD and larger drive for $849 on the Apple Store.

 

[blue&whiteman]

my wife has a 1.25ghz emac and is quite happy with its performance.

 

[neoelectronaut]

I say forgot the PS2 part and get a Cube or XBox. Either is way better than the aging PS2 hardware.

 

[Jigglelicious]

How difficult is it to install a bigger hard drive yourself or upgrade the DVD/CD-RW combo to a DVD writer (on the bottom end model) ? I`ve built PCs before if that would be any help.

I don`t suppose there is any chance of Apple coming out with a monitor-less eMac - where you provide your own display ?

The optical drive is fairly easy to replace on the eMac, although it would still void your warranty (you're not supposed to open up the case at all, I believe). The HDD however, its very involved and complicated to change, as the entire motherboard needs to be removed to get at it. While its not exactly difficult for someone who's built their own computers before, its still something that can cause permanent damage if you don't know what you're doing. Get the eMac service manuals - they have great step by step instructions on how to disassemble the eMac.

 

[jimjiminyjim]

I like my eMac. Get an eMac. The only thing you'll really need to upgrade to extend the life of your computer is RAM, lots of it. The time may come when you *need* a bigger hard drive. By that time (unless you're downloading LOTS of music and making movies), you certainly won't be worried about your warranty. I upgraded the RAM and Harddrive on my iMac about 1 year and a half ago.

edit: putting content in this post!