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eMac vs iMac

TheFallGuy

TheFallGuy

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 20, 2003
73
0
Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. (I just recently switched to a Powerbook and I love it!!!) Anyway, he's a long term PC user in Med school. He doesn't really need a portable computer, just one for him and his wife to use at home. They're really tired of the spyware/malware that so easily infects their PC. So I'm doing a little research for them trying to help convince them that they really want a Mac.

I've been looking at the eMac and the iMac. If price weren't an issue what would you get and why? Which of these two would be best?
 
TheFallGuy said:
Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. (I just recently switched to a Powerbook and I love it!!!) Anyway, he's a long term PC user in Med school. He doesn't really need a portable computer, just one for him and his wife to use at home. They're really tired of the spyware/malware that so easily infects their PC. So I'm doing a little research for them trying to help convince them that they really want a Mac.

I've been looking at the eMac and the iMac. If price weren't an issue what would you get and why? Which of these two would be best?
Click to expand...

If price weren't an issue I'd get the iMac--more powerful, smaller, cooler looking, more ergonomic with flat panel monitor. But I'd also wait until after WWDC, where new iMacs are expected to be announced.
 
musicpyrite said:
Yea I agree with wordmunger, wait for WWDC.

9 to go! :D
Click to expand...

Also agree with word and music...get iMac, but wait. Then when the new iMac comes out decide if the somewhat older (but totally functional) iMac is better at a reduced price or the new G5 iMac. Since they don't game and don't use power apps like Photoshop, etc. I would say either imac would be a great machine, then it comes down to whatever the new G5 iMac provides that the older one doesn't.

Personally the new G5 iMac would have to be pretty cool/useful for me to want to upgrade from my current flatscreen 17" iMac. I with I had a 20" screen and portability, but other than that my 1 ghz iMac rocks for me!
 
I was probably going to have them wait until August when hopefully there might be some school specials. But, I'm doing a little research now.

What are the pros and cons of the eMac and iMac?

Would there be any reason to get an eMac? Aside from them being substantially cheaper?

Thanks
 
TheFallGuy said:
I was probably going to have them wait until August when hopefully there might be some school specials. But, I'm doing a little research now.

What are the pros and cons of the eMac and iMac?

Would there be any reason to get an eMac? Aside from them being substantially cheaper?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I think schools like eMacs because they are more durable--could be an issue with small children. Some people prefer CRT monitors to LCD because they are more accurate in reproducing color.

I think that's about it--an iMac beats an eMac by virtually every other measure.
 
as of now, the emac is every bit as good as the imac for a heck of a lot less money. At this point, the imac is the laughingstock of the apple line up. It's the power of an emac for almost the price of a powermac.

In 4 days, however, that will probably change. So any discussion of this question now is likely to be irrelevant very shortly.
 
If I was to choose between the two models today the eMac wins hands down. It is a great value for adequate performance. The current iMac delivers roughly the same perfomance in a sleeker package. If games or demanding applications such as Final Cut Pro are important then a high end model is a better choice. Neither model will provide anywhere near the perfomance of an entry level Powermac G5. However, the next revision of the iMac may be able to provide a significant improvement in perfomance over the current model and is due to be released sometime soon.
 
I woud wait too, or go with the emac. Same specs as the imac, minus the video card, but with an 8x Superdrive.
 
QCassidy352 said:
At this point, the imac is the laughingstock of the apple line up. It's the power of an emac for almost the price of a powermac.
Click to expand...

But if you get an iMac for a refurb. price like I did ($1299 for a 17"- save $500) and you want a form factor that is much smaller on a desk, and a screen that is easily adjusted to different heights, side to side, etc. the current iMac is the way to go over the emac unless price is the utmost importance.

There are very few "school specials" etc. If the person is an educator or student apple give very good discounts on hardware and software at Apple.com. Most companies discount their software quite a bit for educators and students. If you are looking for specials to the general public around back to school time there will be very few. sometimes Apple runs something like better financing or cheap printer, etc. but the cost is not reduced on the computer more than it already is for students or educators. Wait 5 days and you will know much more...or less for you to make a great decision. :D
 
By the school specials I mean similar to the deal I got last year. I got a free HP printer, iPod, and a less expensive PB.

I think that was for PBs and something else. I can't remember what else they were doing the special on.
 
wow that's quite the article... no new iMacs. It was pretty firm about stating that too!

Regardless, eMac is still by far the winner in my mind. The "more power" argument doesn't really sit well with me. It is NOT substantially different.

If screen adjustment is an issue, Apple sells an eMac tilt and swivel stand, for $99 or something. You get all the software you could want for a basic user. It is somewhat deep, but the width means nothing - the keyboard is the wider, and they are the same for emac and imac.

If price wasn't an issue, the iMac is cooler, but it doesn't have much more than the eMac in my book. eMac, or G5 tower + 23 cinema. The inbetween is just not worth it.
 
I guess when the eMac was updated to bring it level to the iMac we just assumed that Apple would then give the iMac a big update

If they aren't giving the iMac a G5 then they need to give it something that will make it stand out from the eMac
 
Wait!

Wait a few days, WWDC is soon to come and, whether new iMacs come or not, (probably not cuz, well thinksecret's article, read it) I am holding back on a powerbook cuz of it, (and sorta forced to :( )
 
Darwin said:
I guess when the eMac was updated to bring it level to the iMac we just assumed that Apple would then give the iMac a big update

If they aren't giving the iMac a G5 then they need to give it something that will make it stand out from the eMac
Click to expand...


I think the fact it has a much smaller footprint, a revolutionary, adjustable screen and you can pick it up with one hand sets it apart somewhat. The emac weighs about 40lbs!

Having an lcd screen also cuts out the potential brain-tumor giving radiation a crt emits.

And seriously, it looks much cooler than an emac, whoever made that point!
 
mouchoir said:
I think the fact it has a much smaller footprint, a revolutionary, adjustable screen and you can pick it up with one hand sets it apart somewhat. The emac weighs about 40lbs!

Having an lcd screen also cuts out the potential brain-tumor giving radiation a crt emits.

And seriously, it looks much cooler than an emac, whoever made that point!
Click to expand...

You comments are decent. But Apple had already set the bar on performance differences between the eMac and iMac lineup. Without an update soon, the iMac will be an also ran. Even moving to a 1.5 G4, 160GB HDD, SDD, 512mb RAM, AE and BT built-in and offering only the 17" and 20" would be a good move at this point. Off course at the same price point of $1799 and $2299.
 
mouchoir said:
I think the fact it has a much smaller footprint, a revolutionary, adjustable screen and you can pick it up with one hand sets it apart somewhat. The emac weighs about 40lbs!

Having an lcd screen also cuts out the potential brain-tumor giving radiation a crt emits.

And seriously, it looks much cooler than an emac, whoever made that point!
Click to expand...

yeah, but are those differences worth ~$800? Because that's the difference between a superdrive emac and a 17" superdrive imac. (Well, plus you get more VRAM on the imac, but the graphics card still sucks.)
 
QCassidy352 said:
yeah, but are those differences worth ~$800? Because that's the difference between a superdrive emac and a 17" superdrive imac. (Well, plus you get more VRAM on the imac, but the graphics card still sucks.)
Click to expand...

A 17-inch flat panel display is not comparable to a 17-inch CRT--it has much more screen real estate. Remember a 17-inch CRT doesn't have much more viewable screen area than a 15-inch flat panel. The 15-inche iMac is just $300 more than the eMac (though you lose the Superdrive). I suppose the difference is probably more like $500. But remember the original post asked for responses to not concern themselves with price.
 
wordmunger said:
A 17-inch flat panel display is not comparable to a 17-inch CRT--it has much more screen real estate. Remember a 17-inch CRT doesn't have much more viewable screen area than a 15-inch flat panel. The 15-inche iMac is just $300 more than the eMac (though you lose the Superdrive). I suppose the difference is probably more like $500. But remember the original post asked for responses to not concern themselves with price.
Click to expand...

Not true, there is only 1" difference in screen size and resolution size is very close, really the main difference is video card size.
The 15" is only 1GHZ, slower than emac and dosent come with a superdrive at all and has less screen real estate, maybe they will give it the powerbook screen in the future, thus the superdrive emac is comparable to the 17" Imac. at best it is nestled in the middle, but since there is no superdrive version of the 15" and since it is 25% slower, the 17" Imac is a better comparison.
 
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