eMac... 17inch iMac

[gopher]

me thinks the LCD iMac is durable enough

But schools often just go by looks since there isn't an Apple Store at every corner. The base is really, really heavy of the Flat Panel iMac. You can barely lift it by the base alone. And while the LCD sometimes is not perfectly level because of the hinge not being tight enough when it comes from the factory, the arm is strong enough you could put a 22" LCD and it still wouldn't sag. 95% of the LCD iMac's weight is in the base. If you could imagine trying to knock over a 22 pound book. Closest approximation would be two New York City phone books bound together. The base is bigger than you think. But of course, since you can't tell that from photos, people want a CRT machine.

 

[ftaok]

Re: me thinks the LCD iMac is durable enough

Originally posted by gopher
But schools often just go by looks since there isn't an Apple Store at every corner. The base is really, really heavy of the Flat Panel iMac. You can barely lift it by the base alone. And while the LCD sometimes is not perfectly level because of the hinge not being tight enough when it comes from the factory, the arm is strong enough you could put a 22" LCD and it still wouldn't sag. 95% of the LCD iMac's weight is in the base. If you could imagine trying to knock over a 22 pound book. Closest approximation would be two New York City phone books bound together. The base is bigger than you think. But of course, since you can't tell that from photos, people want a CRT machine.

I've seen the iMac (last weekend at CompUSA) and it is indeed very sturdy. I did have some issues with the display model. The connection point between the back of the screen and the swing arm had a little play in it. It feels like it could snap if one were to "swivel" the screen to a portrait direction. But I really shouldn't take too much from a CompUSA display model.

As far as a LCD iMac being appropriate for young school children, I have to disagree. I have no problems of the durability of the base, swing arm, keyboard, mouse, etc. It's the LCD screen that I have issues with. I wouldn't trust a 6 y.o. with a standard LCD screen. It's too easily damaged. Little kids, LCD screens, and sharp pencils do not mix. But it's nothing that a little sheet of glass couldn't fix.

 

[voicegy]

OK, OK, OK, hold the phone guys 'n' gals!

Apple wants to treat their education customers as best as they can. One doesn't need REASONS to justify that statement.

eMac:

1. Speakers: They come with optional snap-in grilles. So stop screaming about the speakers becoming toast at the hands of a student. There is NO SUCH THING as a kid-proof ANYTHING. One can make improvements in that direction, but the general idea of RESPECT OF PROPERTY must come from the teacher and the parent.

2. Fan: Yup, there is one. It's vewy, vewy quiet. (shhhhh...Rabbit Season!) Why? No holes on the top of the machine so convection cooling isn't an option. Why no holes on top? Keeps kids from dropping items in the computer. VERY helpful.

3. Analog mic input: Yup! At the request of teachers. They wanted students to be able to transfer, say, interviews from audio tape to the computer. (I didn't think this was gonna be a trend in Apple's line up, but the new PowerBooks have audio in too!)

4. Exclusive to Education: Yeah, why not? Apple isn't making a heck of a lot of money on these machines...they're less profitable than lump-stick-rectangle iMacs. It's a Commitment to Education Needs machine, pure and simple.

Unless you're in education and see how kids interact with machines on a daily basis both in labs, mobile labs, and in individual classrooms, I don't think one can really comment negatively on these latest machines. I'm sick of hearing "It's Ugly, It's Not as Fast as a (whatever), The Speakers Will be Destroyed, There's No Handle, I'll Wait for the Bigger Better Faster version, BLAH BLAH BLAH. SHEEESH!!!! Give it a rest!!!

(yeah, I know, everyone has opinions, but somehow I just feel very defensive of this latest offering from Apple for my part of the world. I think it's a BIG winner, and I am unanimous in this...sorry if I yelled)

 

[ibjoshua]

Re: OK, OK, OK, hold the phone guys 'n' gals!

Originally posted by voicegy
Apple wants to treat their education customers as best as they can. One doesn't need REASONS to justify that statement.

eMac: . . . . . . . . . Unless you're in education and see how kids interact with machines on a daily basis both in labs, mobile labs, and in individual classrooms, I don't think one can really comment negatively on these latest machines. I'm sick of hearing "It's Ugly, It's Not as Fast as a (whatever), The Speakers Will be Destroyed, There's No Handle, I'll Wait for the Bigger Better Faster version, BLAH BLAH BLAH. SHEEESH!!!! Give it a rest!!!

(yeah, I know, everyone has opinions, but somehow I just feel very defensive of this latest offering from Apple for my part of the world. I think it's a BIG winner, and I am unanimous in this...sorry if I yelled)

hear! hear!
unless you work in education you really shouldn't take this machine too seriously. it's not for you.

 

[iSmell]

Where are people going to be able to test drive these things? I assume they won't have them in the retail stores, since they're not for retail customers, but what about students who might want one, but want to see if it's as ugly as it looks in the pictures (ie ME!).
It would be a bad move to have them in the stores and then tell customers that they can't buy it unless they go back to school.

 

[CHess]

I doubt you'll be able to find a demo model anywhere outside of a campus computer store. You're right, a standard computer store would not carry them. I don't know what the Apple stores will do

 

[Screamingbeaver]

Great for education budgets...

I think that this is great for education budgets... I just finished an evening Photoshop class, where our classroom had 30 workstations with a G4 Tower and 17" Apple display at each station. Now, being that the school spent $1,600 per tower plus $400 per display....if they can now purchase the eMac at $1000 each, that lab alone, the school could save $30,000.

I think this a great thing Apple has done...

'Beaver

 

[gerror]

I'm a student and I think it is a good update for my iMac 400dv. Anybody knows the prices in euro's?

 

[iSmell]

speaker grilles

In case anybody was still losing sleep over it, I saw a video somewhere with Joswiak talking about the emac and it seems that they all ship with optional speaker grilles.
Also, I believe both of the RAM slots are user accessible (the kind that doesn't void your warranty). I might have been the only one wondering about that, but there you go.