fate of the eMac

dkoesdkoes
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Think Secret's take:



The future of the eMac remains on the fence as well. At $300 more expensive than the comparably equipped Mac mini, it's difficult to see the current configuration as having much of a viable future.





I disagree. I think the current eMac is at a perfect price point for Apple. For $300 more than the comparable Mac mini you get a decent 17" flat CRT, keyboard, mouse, extra ports and more RAM slots.



If you need to by a monitor and keyboard, the eMac is the better value. In particular, if you want 1GB of RAM, the eMac is actually cheaper than the Mac mini (especially if you pay Apple's RAM prices).



So the Mac mini is well positioned to target switchers (who don't need a monitor) and people who get suckered in by low entry prices. Meanwhile, Apple won't be losing very many higher margin eMac sales to educational and first time computer buyers.



The eMac is showing its age (9 months old). It seems unlikely that Apple will terminate the eMac line given its popularity with the education market which hopefully means an upgrade is in the works.



If the eMac is upgraded and left at the current price point, it will overlap with the Mac mini market. Therefore, I predict the eMac will be upgraded to a G5 sometime in the next couple months but the entry level price will go up (hopefully to $899, but more likely to $999).



Thoughts?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    yikes600yikes600 Posts: 85member
    I think eMac sales will drop considerably, but remain steady for educational buyers -- which was its originally inteded market. Schools like the all-in-one form factor. The mini, on the other hand, would be a nightmare for schools. I could fit 6 of those things in my backpack!
  • Reply 2 of 12
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by yikes600

    I think eMac sales will drop considerably, but remain steady for educational buyers -- which was its originally inteded market. Schools like the all-in-one form factor. The mini, on the other hand, would be a nightmare for schools. I could fit 6 of those things in my backpack!



    uhhh, really? bastard
  • Reply 3 of 12
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    This means the eMac can go back to being what it's good at being, which is an affordable, kidproof monolith.



    The Mac mini targets a market that the eMac was never intended to target, and which it was ill-suited to target in any case.
  • Reply 4 of 12
    bicubicbicubic Posts: 17member
    My thoughts exactly. The RAM benefits of the eMac combined with the "can't-get-it-in-my-backpack" factor needed for education fuels my hope for a G5 update very soon... (turning blue). They still need a tidy, cheap, yet powerful enough (2GB of RAM etc) all-in-one for the ed. market. The iMac's form factor usually sees them in the offices of staff not in the labs.



    I also think the eMac makes a great lower end machine (or extra) for creative tinkering ? usually an area tight for funds. I just wish they'd hurry up.



    As for my 2c ? MWSF was great for possible switchers (I'm hearing the chatter in my ears) BUT it sucked for pro's and creative professionals. Update your toys for the faithful Steve!!!
  • Reply 5 of 12
    timmy o'tooltimmy o'tool Posts: 80member
    I guess there is the possibility that many switchers could walk in thinking mini and walk out with the emac because it just seems easier (not in terms of carrying of course ) . Only time will tell.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Vox Barbara

    uhhh, really? bastard



    i was thinking about how they would secure the imac mini to desks... maybe make like a cage around it and bolt the cage down to the desk
  • Reply 7 of 12
    zozo Posts: 3,117member
    eMac is here to stay. Until CRT dies that is. Then there will probably be a scaled down TFT iMac for edu.



    Remember though, one of the big considerations for the Mac Mini is simply TRANSPORTATION costs. You can send, probably, 4 iMac G5s for the cost of 1 eMac. thats probably a good 100usd of savinds right there.



    Apple could probably make an iMac G5 with a G4 processor, mid-range graphics proc, combo drive, etc etc... and have a very good price point, almsot similar to todays eMac offering. Seriously.



    Maybe by year end.



    In any case, an AIO offer for Edu, in one form or another, will be around forever.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    mr. macphistomr. macphisto Posts: 138member
    I think the eMac will get a G5 and a redesign of some kind, though likely minor.



    The question is when? The could do it now with the 1.6GHZ G5 and share a configuration with the iMac but give the eMac an Ultra ATA drive instead of SATA and give it a lesser GPU.



    However, I suspect PowerMac and iMac updates will come in the spring. With a PowerMac bump will come a iMac bump. My prediction: PowerMac at dual 3GHZ and dual 2.5GHZ with a single 2.5GHZ on the bottom end. The iMac would likely have 2GHZ and 2.5GHZ configurations. IBM may also have dual-core G5s at this time, so I could see both machines receiving dual-core chips.



    That could leave the eMac with the current 2GHZ G5 chip with less L2 cache and a single core - but it could stay near the current price point. Problem is with the Mac mini now. If you blow it out of the water, who wouldn't want to buy an eMac for a couple hundred more?



    So I think it more likely we get a 1.6GHZ G5 for now. Hopefully it gets a GPU able to handle Core Image. I don't see that as a problem if the iMac gets a better GPU. I still think it'd be best to have the PowerMac and the iMac have GPUs with 128MB standard, possibly with an upgrade to 256 offered while the eMac gets a GPU with 64MB standard with an upgrade to 128MB offered.
  • Reply 9 of 12
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    i was thinking about how they would secure the imac mini to desks... maybe make like a cage around it and bolt the cage down to the desk



    Isn't the built in security scheme good enough?
  • Reply 10 of 12
    lucylucy Posts: 44member
    Just a slight correction here: Apple stated in its recent conference call that the Mac mini has the same profit margin as the eMac.

    Therefore, while an eMac sale is better for Apple's revenue and total profit than a Mac mini sale, a Mac mini purchase affects Apple's profit margin slightly less, by virtue of being a smaller purchase.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by snoopy

    Isn't the built in security scheme good enough?



    Kensington locks have been defeated by snipping the (very thin) cables, and worse, by simply ripping the metal lock out of the case.



    They're definitely the sort of lock that keeps honest people honest. They're not a credible deterrent against professional thieves, or even determined amateurs.
  • Reply 12 of 12
    dkoesdkoes Posts: 12member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Lucy

    Just a slight correction here: Apple stated in its recent conference call that the Mac mini has the same profit margin as the eMac.





    Interesting that the institutional educational discount doesn't reflect this. More proof that Apple isn't try to target the Mac mini towards education and the eMac has a future?



    The Mac mini is a budget computer done right (well, accept for the single RAM slot with 256MB default - maybe apple will have a double your memory promotion in a few months), but the eMac (even at the current specs) is still the best new user and primary school lab computer (IMHO).
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