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imac 15" vs. emac

QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,183
6,341
Bay Area
sorry if this has been discussed before, but I didn't see a thread on it...

I'm looking in to buying a new mac on behalf of my mother. She wants a desktop, and is looking to not spend too much. A powermac is more than she needs as she wouldn't use the expandability anyway, and doesn't want to pay for an external monitor.

So, that leaves an imac 15" and an emac (probably the combo drive model). The imac 17" would be nice, but please don't suggest that she spend the extra $$ and "just go for it." That's not an option.

The differences as I see them are this:
emac: 1 Ghz G4 -- imac: 800 mhz G4
emac: 133 mhz fsb -- imac: 100 mhz fsb
emac: airport extreme -- imac: airport
emac: Radeon 7500 -- imac: GeForce2 MX
emac: 128 base RAM -- imac: 256 base RAM
emac: 17" CRT -- imac: 15" LCD

They have the same cache, the same combo drive, the same max RAM, and the same HD. From these numbers, the choice seems clear: the emac has better tech specs in a number of areas, and costs $300 less. The base RAM isn't an issue since it will be upgraded past either 128 or 256. LCDs are nice... but at least with a CRT you don't get dead pixels. All the imac really has going for it, it seems, is a lot more sexiness. Anyone disagree? Other thought comparing these two machines? Thanks.
 
Do you really need that airport extreme card? If you don't, you can save another 90 or so bucks.

As a recent high school graduate (last week, oh yeah!), I just bought a 30 gig iPod, and I am eyeing that emac you speak of. If desk space is a major issue, go iMac. If money is the central issue, then go eMac.

EDIT: On another note, I find it interesting that the eMac has a faster FSB....wierd....Also, I'm a fan of the ATI cards and such as I have used them moreso than nVidia's....so go eMac :)
 
thanks, I tend to agree with all of you. As I said before, the choice seems clear. A smaller footprint is nice, but it's not enough.

Actually sitting down and doing this comparison makes me really wonder: What on earth is apple doing with the 15" imac? Certainly there's a place for the 17" imac with its bigger screen, better vid card with more VRAM, DDR RAM, better bus, airport extreme, Ghz processor, etc. The emac is still the best *value* (IMO), but at least the big imac is more powerful and has things the emac doesn't.

With the 15", it seems like the emac is not only the better bang for the buck, but just the better computer, hands down. Is apple planning to EOL the 15" imac? It got totally left behind on the last revision when its big brother went to DDR RAM, the faster bus, AE, etc.

When I first posted the question, I still thought my mother should seriously consider the imac. But now, I really can't see where the 15" fits in to the line up. The more I look at the comparison, the more it seems like the 15" imac is just not the right choice for *anyone.*

That's not to say I think a 15" screen is bad- I think 15" is good for a consumer market. I just mean that what apple has done to this model has made it pretty poor compared to both the 1 Ghz emac and the 17" imac.
 
Yer right. Look for that 15" flat panel iMac to be history. I always thought it looked goofy, (too bottomheavy) and the 17" is a better fit, overall. Just my opinion.

I hate the idea of seeing your mom clear away 12 miles of desk space to fit that hulking eMac on...I bet she'd really get a kick out of the flat panel iMac, especially the ease of adjustability of the screen, something that, as we all get older, appreciate doing as we find ourselves sitting in different positions in front of our computers and looking over our eyeglasses, if we wear them! If it were my mom, I'd go that route just becuse of the interoperability between the machine and the user. And, hey; it DOES look like a flower, and moms like flowers.:)

IMHO, I'd go for the 15" iMac. But if you decide for the eMac, spend the extra bucks for the stand, for sure!
 
Originally posted by voicegy
Yer right. Look for that 15" flat panel iMac to be history. I always thought it looked goofy, (too bottomheavy) and the 17" is a better fit, overall. Just my opinion.

I hate the idea of seeing your mom clear away 12 miles of desk space to fit that hulking eMac on...I bet she'd really get a kick out of the flat panel iMac, especially the ease of adjustability of the screen, something that, as we all get older, appreciate doing as we find ourselves sitting in different positions in front of our computers and looking over our eyeglasses, if we wear them! If it were my mom, I'd go that route just becuse of the interoperability between the machine and the user. And, hey; it DOES look like a flower, and moms like flowers.:)

IMHO, I'd go for the 15" iMac. But if you decide for the eMac, spend the extra bucks for the stand, for sure!
Click to expand...

Funny you mention the glasses thing. That's a reason my parents chose the 15" iMac over the eMac.


Lethal
 
You people treat desk space like its some rare commodity. I have a tower and a 21" sony monitor (which is much larger than the emac) on my desk. If you desk space is so tight that you can't fit a tiny emac on it, you need a bigger desk.
 
Originally posted by springscansing
You people treat desk space like its some rare commodity. I have a tower and a 21" sony monitor (which is much larger than the emac) on my desk. If you desk space is so tight that you can't fit a tiny emac on it, you need a bigger desk.
Click to expand...

hahaha... good point. Desks are cheaper than computers. ;-)

mmmdreg: are you happy with the emac? Any complaints?
 
I'd have to agree and go with the eMac.

Actually I'd say get a refurb from the Apple store (if they are still available) and use the extra $$$ saved on AppleCare.

Or got to PowerMax and get a cheap new or refurb if they are offered (and DEFINITELY AppleCare). Freebies, cheap shipping, and no tax cuz they're in Oregon.

Or a nice little iBook :).
 
imac 15" vs. emac

My two cents:

I have bought one of each of these machines in the last three months with biggest factor being price - the 15" imac with superdrive cost me $1150 and the emac (700mhz) with combo drive cost $660. These were both refurbished/return units from Microcenter. Definitely a big fan of having the superdrive in the imac. I would recommend you get the refurbished emac deal at Apple - I think it is with superdrive for $999. Add Applecare...
 
Originally posted by springscansing
You people treat desk space like its some rare commodity. I have a tower and a 21" sony monitor (which is much larger than the emac) on my desk. If you desk space is so tight that you can't fit a tiny emac on it, you need a bigger desk.
Click to expand...
Desk space can be a commodity if you are in a room that has a built in nook or no room for a bigger desk. But for me I have a 21" veiwsonic and a tower so I deal with the footprints.
 
Get an emac way better value. And with the new emacs being able to do monitor spanning with the same hack as the ibooks, why would you spend that much more on an imac, get an emac and save for a 970 powermac.
 
Originally posted by Laslo Panaflex
Get an emac way better value. And with the new emacs being able to do monitor spanning with the same hack as the ibooks, why would you spend that much more on an imac, get an emac and save for a 970 powermac.
Click to expand...

Could you provide a link on hacking the firmware on the eMac to do monitor spanning?

I plan to get an eMac for college (use it for some programming and such), eventually replacing it with a ppc970 the summer after.

I'm still waiting on Apple to change those Pioneer drives to burn all formats. I put a DVD+R disk into my brothers Dual 867 powermac, and it didn't know what the heck it was. Come on Apple, get those new drives out, and I'll be more than happy to purchase an eMac!
 
Originally posted by dethl
I'm still waiting on Apple to change those Pioneer drives to burn all formats. I put a DVD+R disk into my brothers Dual 867 powermac, and it didn't know what the heck it was.
Click to expand...

Pioneer drives are only compatible with DVD-R/W, Apple could never make them support DVD+R/W.
 
No doubt -- it's the eMac all the way.

The 15" iMac is a last-gen model and is essentially EOL'd. It's last year's computer, in a market where next year's computer is already out of date.

Also, to those who say the eMac is too big: have you ever seen one in person? They're about as big as a CRT iMac.
 
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