I *LOVE* eMacs!

[glossywhite]

Awful quality pics - stupid Nokia (sorry!).


I just bought my second ATI, 800Mhz eMac... for £85 which includes 1Gb SDRAM & 10.3. So to summarise, for £170, I have TWO 2003 ATI eMac machines, side by side, running Leopard. I clocked the 7445 chip from 800Mhz to 1.33Ghz (*VERY* stable and safe to do by the way - http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eMac/eMac-upgrade.html)

Then, simply stripped down the machines, and install a 250Gb IDE drive & DVD-RW drive (EXACT type is: a Samsung "TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S222A") in the first eMac, and a 160Gb IDE drive in the other one. These machines run many hours of each day, with NO problems running 10.5.6 whatsoever.

Cheaper than a comparable secondhand *cringes* PeeCee, and way more cool, capable, beautiful to use and own, and rugged. Got to LOVE Macs - I just can't bear to NOT use them. Thanks Apple for making such an incredible line of products, and thanks Microsoft for making such crap that pushed me away from you, and let me discover the superior Apple life. Also, I'd like to thank Linux for being SO incredibly inconsistent and fiddly to setup; I feel that in my Macintoshes, I have found THE perfect balance I need.

PeeCee vendors will always aspire to Apple; as Guy Kawasaki says in the film "Welcome to Macintosh" - the PeeCee vendors just don't know WHICH bit to steal!

Apple all the way - innovation, obsessive attention to detail with their craft, and the faultless way in which they remove unnecessary and cluttered items from their designs - who ELSE has "HIG" (Human Interface Guidelines) to ensure software is made to look beautiful?!.

Everyone copies Apple, either blatently or subversively. Psystar and others even try to cheapen the Mac - wanna know why? they don't 'get it' like a REAL loyal Mac user would. They deserve all they get from Apple's lawyers - Apple forever!!

[UPDATE] 13/02/2009

I no longer have the two eMacs from the above article. However, I purchased a 1.42Ghz eMac last week, and fitted a 160Gb WD drive to it. I am also about to upgrade the ram tonight, to 2Gb DDR, and also install a Samsung "SH-S222A" DVD±RW drive (these are fantastic drives!).

I must say that the 1.42Ghz (2005, USB 2.0) model does seem quite a bit snappier - liking it!.

 

[Rodus]

I agree with you that eMacs are very capable machines. We used them in my last place of work and they generally blow the 2 *new* Celeron PC's out of the water. For most users, 1.33 Ghz G4 is all they actually need, not the muti ghz machines that PC World churn out. Plus, they have ATI graphics which seem more reliable then Nvidias recent, rather twitchy, offerings.
I wonder, as 800 to 1.33 is quite a jump, if Apple used reliable, downclocked 1.33's in the low end eMacs just so they could have 2 models.

 

[awmazz]

For most users, 1.33 Ghz G4 is all they actually need, not the muti ghz machines that PC World churn out.

I totally agree most computers are overkill for average users of email and web surfing, even the new iMacs. The new stripped-down PC netbooks address this, but a second hand G4 Powerbook or even iBook is still a better buy with larger screen and running full OSX 10.5.6.

 

[Macpropro80]

your making me jealous I always wanted an emac!

 

[Mac-MoMomma]

eMac USB ports

Is it true that I can not upgrade my USB port to a hi-speed 2.0 port? I called Apple and they said, NO GO.

I bought my eMac in 2000 (ish) and LOVE IT, ner' a problem, but now I can not run the new ipods on my old machine. tell me, do i really have to part with this beloved friend???

 

[glossywhite]

Is it true that I can not upgrade my USB port to a hi-speed 2.0 port? I called Apple and they said, NO GO.

I bought my eMac in 2000 (ish) and LOVE IT, ner' a problem, but now I can not run the new ipods on my old machine. tell me, do i really have to part with this beloved friend???

You can use the iPod, just rather slower than if it were USB 2.0.

 

[Dr. Klein]

i loved my emac. bought it in 2001. when it was time to upgrade i sold it to a friend of mine and she still uses it.

 

[nicinabox]

I've got Two - total cost £40. My college where giving away the 1GHZ models and selling the 1.25 for £40. So naturally I got two

 

[glossywhite]

I've got Two - total cost £40. My college where giving away the 1GHZ models and selling the 1.25 for £40. So naturally I got two

Giving away?. So that's where all the fees add up

 

[Reventon]

Pretty sweet. There's actually an eMac (originally thought it was a white G3) at my work, on an empty cubicle (which is probably the only Mac in my office). I'm not sure if it works or not (probably doesn't), but I don't know how many times I was tempted to grab it.

 

[nicinabox]

Giving away?. So that's where all the fees add up

yeah giving away. They had about 40 of them going a mix of 1GHZ and 1.25's and a couple of 1.42's. They upgraded the whole of the college to alu Imac's so they where going as surplus, with keyboards obviously they lasted about a day when it got round the college.

 

[glossywhite]

yeah giving away. They had about 40 of them going a mix of 1GHZ and 1.25's and a couple of 1.42's. They upgraded the whole of the college to alu Imac's so they where going as surplus, with keyboards obviously they lasted about a day when it got round the college.

I must say, as pleased as punch as I am with them, they're a little sluggish on Leopard (I'm learning Xcode/Cocoa App dev) even with 1Gb ram and Dashboard & 3D Dock turned off. May have to get one of the new Mac minis

 

[Mac-MoMomma]

You can use the iPod, just rather slower than if it were USB 2.0.

I have tried, and it freezes her up.

Any suggestions?

 

[Sun Baked]

Looks in ....

Turns around and runs out of the room to let the MR member play with their big plastic toys in private.

 

[glossywhite]

Looks in ....

Turns around and runs out of the room to let the MR member play with their big plastic toys in private.

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[NoSmokingBandit]

Neato setup, but was the pc/microsoft bashing really necessary? Theres enough of mindless fanboy-ism here already, no need to bring in more.

eMacs are sexy machines. I had one which i sold, now i wish i would have kept it. Perhaps ill find another some day.

 

[11800506]

Yep! They are great little machines. I used my 1.25 Ghz with 2 gb of Ram running Leopard for 6 months until I got my Macbook Pro and it worked pretty well. It was a nice little machine for what it was, but sadly now with my Macbook Pro I don't use it that much. I still love it though.

 

[glossywhite]

Neato setup, but was the pc/microsoft bashing really necessary? Theres enough of mindless fanboy-ism here already, no need to bring in more.

eMacs are sexy machines. I had one which i sold, now i wish i would have kept it. Perhaps ill find another some day.

I'll bash who I want, thanks it's my opinion, and the net is about freedom of speech!. If you think I'm being unfair or unrealistic... tough.

Yep! They are great little machines. I used my 1.25 Ghz with 2 gb of Ram running Leopard for 6 months until I got my Macbook Pro and it worked pretty well. It was a nice little machine for what it was, but sadly now with my Macbook Pro I don't use it that much. I still love it though.

Yeah, and they they're so aesthetically yummy (aren't most Apple things?!). Do you think I'd see £150 a pop each, if I sold them?. Not planning to do so, but I need more power for Xcode dev, and am getting a new Nvidia Mac mini, and these barely cut it (and I cant do i386 testing either).

 

[11800506]

Yeah, and they they're so aesthetically yummy (aren't most Apple things?!). Do you think I'd see £150 a pop each, if I sold them?. Not planning to do so, but I need more power for Xcode dev, and am getting a new Nvidia Mac mini, and these barely cut it (and I cant do i386 testing either).

I doubt you'll get that much since I bought mine last summer for ~$170 off of eBay and this was with 768 mb ram and Tiger. With Leopard and overclocked, you might get more, but the overclocking might turn some people off. It all depends what the current market prices are.

 

[0098386]

Used to love the ol' eMac
Back at college we had a suite full of G3 iMacs and one, glorious G4 eMac in the corner. Everyone used to rush for that beauty. For years I wanted one but now I'd probably rather buy a cheap Mac Mini for the purposes I'm after. Most I'd pay for one would be £50 realistically. Compared to what you can get now and the age of them.

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

I'll bash who I want, thanks it's my opinion, and the net is about freedom of speech!. If you think I'm being unfair or unrealistic... tough.

I have no problem with your opinion, i do however have a problem with the way you express it and the fact that you seem to believe that Apple invents everything and the rest of the world copies them. Steve Jobs must love fanboys like you.

Also, a mac is a pc. Its one of my pet peeves that Jobs separates the two to make macs sound magical when a mac is still a pc.

Yeah, and they they're so aesthetically yummy

Imo, eMacs are the best looking computer apple ever made. The hardware design matched the OS design perfectly, then Leo came along and they decided to make everything look like aluminum. I miss the days when both apple's hardware and os looked like candy.

 

[glossywhite]

I have no problem with your opinion, i do however have a problem with the way you express it and the fact that you seem to believe that Apple invents everything and the rest of the world copies them. Steve Jobs must love fanboys like you.

Also, a mac is a pc. Its one of my pet peeves that Jobs separates the two to make macs sound magical when a mac is still a pc.



Imo, eMacs are the best looking computer apple ever made. The hardware design matched the OS design perfectly, then Leo came along and they decided to make everything look like aluminum. I miss the days when both apple's hardware and os looked like candy.

That's great - carry on and have your problem, no skin off my nose. Actually, Apple invent rather a lot, and if they haven't invented it, they innovate something better from a direction people haven't considered. I'm not saying they invent EVERYTHING. You call me a fanboy; well if that is how YOU see me then feel free to attach whatever ridiculous label to me as you deem fit - there's plenty of stuff in Apple to be a fan OF - I'm happy to think I'm a fan of something good, extremely well designed and highly sought after.

 

[awmazz]

Also, a mac is a pc. Its one of my pet peeves that Jobs separates the two to make macs sound magical when a mac is still a pc.

Only if you're running Windows via Bootcamp. But a Mac running OSX is definitely not a PC - because it is not "PC-compatible". You can't just load PC software straight on a Mac running OSX as it just won't work.

PC is not Intel either. A PC is an IBM. As in IBM PC. Trademarked commercial product name. The term today refers to PC-clones running DOS/Windows (and now Linux), with "PC-compatible" being shortened to PC for convenience now there are no more true PCs from IBM. It generally just means the operating system Windows now.

As opposed to a Macintosh, Apple II/e/c/gs, Sinclair, Commodore Amiga, Atari, NeXT, BeBox and all other non-Windows/IBM PC-compatible computers ever made and sold. Most all of which bar the Mac having been relegated to history by the mid 90s by the Windows/PC clone-makers' behemoth. Well, maybe not the NeXT, which merged with Mac to become OSX. Which is a shame as some like the Amiga were vastly superior at the time, but they were just crushed by consumer demand for cheapness and mediocrity.

EDIT. PS. The clone makers weren't allowed to call them PCs either. If you look back at all the advertising from the 90s, they were all sold as "PC-compatible", not as PCs. I'm guessing IBM eventually just stopped bothering policing their trademark as they no longer use it themselves.

 

[glossywhite]

Only if you're running Windows via Bootcamp. But a Mac running OSX is definitely not a PC - because it is not "PC-compatible". You can't just load PC software straight on a Mac running OSX as it just won't work.

PC is not Intel either. A PC is an IBM. As in IBM PC. Trademarked commercial product name. The term today refers to PC-clones running DOS/Windows (and now Linux), with "PC-compatible" being shortened to PC for convenience now there are no more true PCs from IBM. It generally just means the operating system Windows now.

As opposed to a Macintosh, Apple II/e/c/gs, Sinclair, Commodore Amiga, Atari, NeXT, BeBox and all other non-Windows/IBM PC-compatible computers ever made and sold. Most all of which bar the Mac having been relegated to history by the mid 90s by the Windows/PC clone-makers' behemoth. Well, maybe not the NeXT, which merged with Mac to become OSX. Which is a shame as some like the Amiga were vastly superior at the time, but they were just crushed by consumer demand for cheapness and mediocrity.

EDIT. PS. The clone makers weren't allowed to call them PCs either. If you look back at all the advertising from the 90s, they were all sold as "PC-compatible", not as PCs. I'm guessing IBM eventually just stopped bothering policing their trademark as they no longer use it themselves.

Good call, and informative!.

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

EDIT. PS. The clone makers weren't allowed to call them PCs either. If you look back at all the advertising from the 90s, they were all sold as "PC-compatible", not as PCs. I'm guessing IBM eventually just stopped bothering policing their trademark as they no longer use it themselves.

I cut off the rest because this is the only part that needs commenting on.

Yes, the term "PC" used to be IBM-specific, but at this point in time "pc" only exists as 'personal computer'. A colloquialism, yes, but the english language slowly adapts colloquialisms into grammatical rules which is why modern english can sound like anything from Shakespeare to Dr Phil and still be correct.

A PC is not a platform any more, just a collection of hardware. Apple may have had an argument in the ppc days, but today a mac is built from the same foxconn motherboard and intel cpu as most other computers.

Also, by your reckoning if i installed linux/bsd/*nix of any flavor on my computer it is no longer a pc because this so-called "pc compatible" software would no longer work on it. This isnt the early 90's any more, the paradigm has changed.