Will the eMac name retire?

[nagromme]

The eMac concept won't go away: a CRT all-in-one is cheaper and more durable than an LCD. Schools and some consumers will want that kind of Mac for a long time to come. (I'm very happy with my own eMac.)

But I wouldn't be surprised to see the eMac NAME go away. It's always been confusing to people--more "iMac-like" than the iMac itself is, and the "e" isn't just for education anymore.

If the styling were updated along with a G5, it could just be an iMac again. There would be a CRT iMac in addition to the 17" and 20" LCD iMacs. All 3 would be nearly identical in specs, and look nearly the same from the front. Simpler for shoppers, and the "i" connection would be there to draw iPod users.

In fact, if any consumer desktop gets a non-iMac name, it should be the rumored headless Mac. That at least is outside the iMac tradition (and uses a G4). The eMac, with a G5 update, is firmly IN the iMac family.

So... anyone think the eMac name will die this month? I'm posting this for fun in case it happens

 

[rendezvouscp]

I think that they may continue the eMac name for their educational line, just like they've done with the iMac for their consumer line. I don't see it going away, and I don't see the eMac becoming part of the iMac family because they're focused at different levels of consumers. I think that it would actually be more confusing for consumers if the eMac went into the iMac line, because they wouldn't be consistent.
-Chase