Help...emac, or wait???

[djtet]

I'll give everyone the short version...
I can't afford a computer over $1000. My old ibook clamshell and old pc are starting to drag. I have a crappy, non-design, low paying, 40/week job, but try to freelance in my spare time...so I would like something with some zip to it. So, I saw on smalldog electronics that they have the low-end emac, refurbished, for $649. I also have a $170 worth of credit at best buy, so I could use that for more RAM and/or external cdrw. I check frequently and see that smalldog runs out of these emacs fairly quick. (on a side note check out my latest thread concerning smalldog.)
So, should I go for this temporary emac upgrade, or should I wait til after WWDC? Will the entire line-up see major changes/price reductions? Once new machines are revealed will the emac also drop in price, or will an old powermac ever come down to under $1000? Of course I would love a new Powermac, but that's probably not going to happen for at least another year! Suggestions? Insider advise?
Thanks!

 

[djtet]

anyone?

anyone have any info???

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Here is my penny's worth. they just updated the emac and it is now at 1 gig. If i was a new buyer i would try to get a 1 gig machine or better.OSX will run better and you will be able to game along with everything else. The base memory wont be enough and you really should have 256 or greater for all your stuff. Yes some big things will come out of wwdc but that will have to do with the pro line up. Imac then emac will follow 6 months later maybe. Though a 700 emac might suffice i would really try for a 1 gig machine. Once the 970's make it to market i think you will see g4 machines drop in price. How long can you wait? Powermacs are the best and if you can get a good deal on a used one then go for it. Remember you will still need a monitor but on the otherhand you can upgrade everything in it Later. I have a 733 that i bumped/clocked up to 800 with a geforce 3 in it and 1 gig of memory. Its been a great machine but frame rates on UT2003 are a little slow but is playable as is nascar,wolfenstein,Medal of Honor. I would lean against a tempory machine(Emac) wait a little more and go for as much gusto you can afford after WWDC. There is nothing like being able to upgrade. Who Knows maybe ill get a new 970 machine and sell my powermac?? hope this helps somewhat.---edit just looked at macmall and they sell a new emac 800 g4 for $794.00 with free 256 ram,free printer,floppy drive.etc.

 

[sprocklingcat]

emac purchase

I have an aprox. 2 month old eMac 700mHz/combo/384mb that I would sell for $750 or so, if you are interested

 

[djtet]

I do have a monitor that I could use, if I got a powermac. See, I just don't see getting a 1ghz emac for over $1000, when for a couple hundred dollars more i can get a powermac...maybe less, when/if the 970's come out. The only programs I use are photoshop, illustrator, flash and dreamweaver. I don't game and no video or music editing at this time. Basically, I can't decide if I should get a temporary, cheap, solution with a refurb emac, or wait and go for the whole bang when/if the 970's come out!

sprocklingcat...Although that sounds like a good offer, right now I don't have the $$$, just a credit card!!!

 

[ZeeOwl]

My 2¢

If you're going to be doing any type of design work, I wouldn't recommend the eMac. It's a consumer machine. With a budget that low, your best bet would be to pick up a used PowerMac. For 1000$, you can probably get an 800 MHz G4, which will be faster than the 800MHz eMac. You can use your PC monitor. And it will be massively upgradeable, which the eMac is not. You'll be able to transform it into a pretty high-powered workstation eventually, as your needs and budget grow.

The current PowerMacs will probably drop in price after WWDC, or thereabouts. But I doubt they'll drop that much. And the price of used machines won't change by much at all.

 

[djtet]

After thinking about it, I will probably wait and see what happens in the next couple of months with the rumored 970's. It's just so enticing to see the emac at such a cheap price!...and it would be a pretty significant upgrade from my current computers. must....hold....out....just....a....little....longer.....

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

In the Mac world patience is a Virtue! It will reward you but do you have the patience? Motorola can have you waiting,waiting,waiting etc etc..........

 

[cubist]

Heh... Get a used G4 Tower AGP Graphics, aka Sawtooth, for $500, then get a 1GHz CPU upgrade for $300 and a gig of RAM for $100. For $900 you have a fast computer.

FTM, the Sawtooth (400MHz or so) may be fast enough to hold you for a year or so, as long as you get the RAM.

 

[maraczc]

Originally posted by djtet
After thinking about it, I will probably wait and see what happens in the next couple of months with the rumored 970's. It's just so enticing to see the emac at such a cheap price!...and it would be a pretty significant upgrade from my current computers. must....hold....out....just....a....little....longer.....

Just so you know the eMac will not have a 970 proccesor at WWDC. At LEAST not until the next cycle revision. Possibly longer.

 

[djtet]

maraczc...
it's not that i really want an emac...i want a powermac tower. the emac would just be a temporary solution, at a price that i can currently afford. i have been pressing more to be a full-time freelancer, since there are no design openings (and haven't been for the past 2 years) where i now live. if i do decide to freelance, i will take out the credit card and go for the powermac.

also, i totally agree about the 970's not being in the emac. i think if we do see them, it will first be in only the powermacs...then maybe late 2003 or early 2004, they will introduce them in the powerbook line. i feel that they won't revamp the entire lineup in one shot. first powermacs, then powerbooks and so on...

 

[mislabeledstar]

If you're planning on getting a 970 when they come out anyway, I'd hold off on the emac and get yourself a higher end 970 when they come rather than spending money on an emac now and then getting a lower end 970.