He also hinted that this design has been longer in the works than the LCD iMac, and that they decided to bring it to market (after it had been trashed by "someone" who thought it was too big and heavy) after they found that the LCD iMac was really not suited to schoolkids or small children.
At one point Apple was afraid they were going to lose the education market, so they started pushing the iBook while ramping up the eMac for manufacture.
It is, to quote the representative, "bulletproof."
He also tells me that the innards are very similar to the LCD iMac, and it is NOT based off of the CRT iMac.
So basically this was to be the next iMac, but Steve didn't like it, and they later recycled it for education.
You heard it here first, straight from the horse's mouth. Well, unless you count me as a middleman.
I said a long time ago that if Apple released another CRT iMac it would follow the design of the 17" CRT ACD. This this looks awesome, and I wish they'd spec it out for consumers. At any rate, I'm still all over that G4, there's no comparison.
As a matter of fact, I've talked to an Apple PR rep, he says that they KNEW students would do this and have built the speakers so that they are very durable and that they will not be able to be punctured.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If i'm not mistaken... there's speaker grilles on this shot.
A few things, I don't see mention of the expandability??? Can this machine even be opened? The pricier model is exactly the same except for RAM and the stand. Is it possible to add your own RAM to the Machine or not? A stand certainly isn't worth a 300 dollar premium, and both machines should come with it -- they finally listen to ed. buyers what's the point of nickle and diming them for a stand that can't be more than 5 dollars worth of plastic?
PS:
Look at that shell, doesn't the shape look a lot like the last Apple CRT studio display?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes it can be opened, at least for more RAM
Processor and memory
700MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine
256K on-chip level 2 cache at full processor speed
100MHz system bus
128MB SDRAM; two 168-pin DIMM slots support up to 1GB using 128MB, 256MB, or 512MB DIMMs
Nice move Apple. And to you who said all in one 17" CRT would never come from Apple
It looks like that door might be lockable, judging by the small holes on either end of the oblong shape. An admin would be upgrading the RAM, instaling Airport and any new software and would thus have the key to open it. Almost a true network appliance in a sense. No junk software put on the machines, no making copies of software to CDs, and no PB&J sandwiches crammed in there either. Depends on the grade level and student priveledge/trust. Pretty smart if they did that. Although this may be a rejected version of the new iMac, they did some tailoring for the school crowd (and hopefully at some point, for kiosks too).
PS: FWIW, you can also buy a stand for an extra $50 US.
Good comments and report. I guess you're "feeling your oats" now.
I kinda thought this design was going to be the next tube-based iMac as there were reports of a 17" flat CRT in a snow white enclosure about a year ago.
I think it looks great and like most Apple computers, will look better in person.
On the picture, it looks as if there may be a metal lock that swings up and covers the slot. Look closely under the card.
[quote] Look for a consumer version next year! <hr></blockquote> You sure? I really don't think they want consumers to get their hands on this thing. Remember when SJ pronounced the death of CRTs? I think (long range) they would rather drop the prices of the LCD iMac than sell the eMac to Public.
<edit> Also - if they were planning on selling it to the public, they would still call it an iMac (edu), not a new name.
I'm still not quite sure about the speakers. Most of the images on Apple's site show the eMac without any kind of speaker protection, but the image on the data sheet PDF shows that they have grilles.
I'd assume that they're pretty durable speakers and are covered with grilles so that it shouldn't be easy to severely damage the speakers. It's not like Apple is new to the education market or anything; they'd see this coming.
I like this better than the LCD iMac. It should be available to ANYONE who wants to buy one. Apple is the only company I know that would try to keep a product people want out of their hands. "well, we want them to buy the LCD iMac instead". Well, I don't want one so i bought a used G4 instead. Give the consumer a choice and let them decide!
Now, make a black version.
The iMac lineup could have been awesome.
15 in G3 iMac-$799(DVD)
17 in G4 eMac-$999(combo Drive)
LCD G4 iMac-$1399(combo drive) and $1899(superdrive)
Apple should not sell any computer with less than 256 Mb RAM. OSX is barely usable with 384 Mb RAM..................................
I said it will tank. I didn't say it will tank in the consumer market. How big an upgrade is this from an iMac? It isn't. It's somewhere in between the new iMac and the old, just like how the Cube was between the iMac and the Power Mac.
Cash strapped school districts like Oakland and Richmond here cannot afford eMacs. What they can afford would be $600-800 bottom of the heap iMacs.
I have a feeling some of the well-funded schools will go with chic LCD iMacs too.
Didn't Apple make the LC Computer, all in one, specifically for education that eventually made its way to the consumer market? Claims that his is the first education-only desktop are wrong.
Eugene, always the optimist! Apple showed this computer and the price points to school districts and they responded that they'd buy it. Case closed I'd say. But, in any event, time will tell. Stay tuned.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the eMac is the TFT iMac in a different shape with a 17" ASD stuck in it. It's the same thing! (to quote the old 1/2 Price Store guy)
Apple probably simply realized that they needed something less expensive than the TFT iMac, but more powerful than the "classic" iMac for the education market. They pulled an early design for the new iMac out of mothballs, tweaked a few things, and ramped up production. The eMac was probably a design on a wad of paper in the recycle bin until the end of January 2002.
I DO think that we're seeing the beginning of the end of the G3 iMac, though. Snow might stick around for a good while, but overall, its days are numbered my friends.
<strong>Didn't Apple make the LC Computer, all in one, specifically for education that eventually made its way to the consumer market? Claims that his is the first education-only desktop are wrong.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The LC 520 (ed only) eventually became the Performa 550 et al. The G3 AIO was ed only and never was released to the General public. All in all I believe most ed only machines were never released to the General Public.
Weird, some pictures have grills over the speakers and some don't. Do they come off or something? It seems like they should just stay on for good. I think Apple looks the grill-less look for aesthetic reasons, but this is one case where they should just put function over form, and prevent kids from poking those things like the Quicksilver demo machines I see at computer stores.
2 questions: is there a handle? And why the 128 MB RAM? You can hardly run OS X with that much, let alone do anything with iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, etc...
I will say this. I sure want one. The back of this machine looks pretty darn sweet. But I sure want to see one in person. I wonder if the inclusion of a line in on this and the Powerbook and this is a hint of things to come....
I think that the eMac might be the replacement for the Cube. I think Apple's original intentions were to move the Cube down in price between the 15" CRT iMac and the PowerMac. They knew they needed an in between machine. Most people aren't going to be happy with a 15 inch CRT but they don't want to pay $1599 for a PowerMac. The Cube was to be the middle ground. When it failed, they needed a replacement, which is the eMac. The eMac appeals to most of the market because of it's 17 inch screen.
I definitely think that the Cube and the LCD iMac were meant to coexist and complement each other. Now the eMac will complement the LCD iMac instead.
Thumbs up for the eMac. Apple has to offer something CRT-based for schools - at least for the forseeable future - but the G3 iMac is desperately dated. Ergo, eMac. It's easy to see this newer design receiving a price cut later this year, and the G3 product disappearing altogether. The "eMac" brand is also a good idea; it positions the line away from the general-market (and somewhat avant-garde) iMac.
But nevermind all that - it's a G4 with 17" monitor, 32MB video, speakers, keyboard, mouse, software, warranty, FireWire and 1GB RAM ceiling for $999. Alright, what have you done with the real Apple Computer, Inc??
The eMac won't suffice for every purpose, but at the asking price it's a bargain and a half. And you can bet that Apple's willing to cut a deal with volume purchasers: discounting the machines, throwing in all kinds of high-margin software and service contracts, etc. This product lets Apple stay in the education game while the LCD iMac makes hay with end users.
Comments
At one point Apple was afraid they were going to lose the education market, so they started pushing the iBook while ramping up the eMac for manufacture.
It is, to quote the representative, "bulletproof."
He also tells me that the innards are very similar to the LCD iMac, and it is NOT based off of the CRT iMac.
So basically this was to be the next iMac, but Steve didn't like it, and they later recycled it for education.
You heard it here first, straight from the horse's mouth. Well, unless you count me as a middleman.
<strong>
As a matter of fact, I've talked to an Apple PR rep, he says that they KNEW students would do this and have built the speakers so that they are very durable and that they will not be able to be punctured.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If i'm not mistaken... there's speaker grilles on this shot.
<strong>
A few things, I don't see mention of the expandability??? Can this machine even be opened? The pricier model is exactly the same except for RAM and the stand. Is it possible to add your own RAM to the Machine or not? A stand certainly isn't worth a 300 dollar premium, and both machines should come with it -- they finally listen to ed. buyers what's the point of nickle and diming them for a stand that can't be more than 5 dollars worth of plastic?
PS:
Look at that shell, doesn't the shape look a lot like the last Apple CRT studio display?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes it can be opened, at least for more RAM
Processor and memory
700MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine
256K on-chip level 2 cache at full processor speed
100MHz system bus
128MB SDRAM; two 168-pin DIMM slots support up to 1GB using 128MB, 256MB, or 512MB DIMMs
Nice move Apple. And to you who said all in one 17" CRT would never come from Apple
It looks like that door might be lockable, judging by the small holes on either end of the oblong shape. An admin would be upgrading the RAM, instaling Airport and any new software and would thus have the key to open it. Almost a true network appliance in a sense. No junk software put on the machines, no making copies of software to CDs, and no PB&J sandwiches crammed in there either. Depends on the grade level and student priveledge/trust. Pretty smart if they did that. Although this may be a rejected version of the new iMac, they did some tailoring for the school crowd (and hopefully at some point, for kiosks too).
PS: FWIW, you can also buy a stand for an extra $50 US.
[ 04-29-2002: Message edited by: BuonRotto ]</p>
Good comments and report. I guess you're "feeling your oats" now.
I kinda thought this design was going to be the next tube-based iMac as there were reports of a 17" flat CRT in a snow white enclosure about a year ago.
I think it looks great and like most Apple computers, will look better in person.
Look for a consumer version next year!
On the picture, it looks as if there may be a metal lock that swings up and covers the slot. Look closely under the card.
[quote] Look for a consumer version next year! <hr></blockquote> You sure? I really don't think they want consumers to get their hands on this thing. Remember when SJ pronounced the death of CRTs? I think (long range) they would rather drop the prices of the LCD iMac than sell the eMac to Public.
<edit> Also - if they were planning on selling it to the public, they would still call it an iMac (edu), not a new name.
[ 04-29-2002: Message edited by: bauman ]</p>
I'd assume that they're pretty durable speakers and are covered with grilles so that it shouldn't be easy to severely damage the speakers. It's not like Apple is new to the education market or anything; they'd see this coming.
Now, make a black version.
The iMac lineup could have been awesome.
15 in G3 iMac-$799(DVD)
17 in G4 eMac-$999(combo Drive)
LCD G4 iMac-$1399(combo drive) and $1899(superdrive)
Apple should not sell any computer with less than 256 Mb RAM. OSX is barely usable with 384 Mb RAM..................................
<strong>Interesting - Apple UK Education are only selling combo versions.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Wrong.
Select a school and then progress through the store and hey magic new options! another eMac appears.
Cash strapped school districts like Oakland and Richmond here cannot afford eMacs. What they can afford would be $600-800 bottom of the heap iMacs.
I have a feeling some of the well-funded schools will go with chic LCD iMacs too.
This leaves a thinner slice for the eMac.
Apple probably simply realized that they needed something less expensive than the TFT iMac, but more powerful than the "classic" iMac for the education market. They pulled an early design for the new iMac out of mothballs, tweaked a few things, and ramped up production. The eMac was probably a design on a wad of paper in the recycle bin until the end of January 2002.
I DO think that we're seeing the beginning of the end of the G3 iMac, though. Snow might stick around for a good while, but overall, its days are numbered my friends.
<strong>Didn't Apple make the LC Computer, all in one, specifically for education that eventually made its way to the consumer market? Claims that his is the first education-only desktop are wrong.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The LC 520 (ed only) eventually became the Performa 550 et al. The G3 AIO was ed only and never was released to the General public. All in all I believe most ed only machines were never released to the General Public.
2 questions: is there a handle? And why the 128 MB RAM? You can hardly run OS X with that much, let alone do anything with iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, etc...
All in all, it looks pretty good.
I definitely think that the Cube and the LCD iMac were meant to coexist and complement each other. Now the eMac will complement the LCD iMac instead.
But nevermind all that - it's a G4 with 17" monitor, 32MB video, speakers, keyboard, mouse, software, warranty, FireWire and 1GB RAM ceiling for $999. Alright, what have you done with the real Apple Computer, Inc??
The eMac won't suffice for every purpose, but at the asking price it's a bargain and a half. And you can bet that Apple's willing to cut a deal with volume purchasers: discounting the machines, throwing in all kinds of high-margin software and service contracts, etc. This product lets Apple stay in the education game while the LCD iMac makes hay with end users.
Cheers,
Mark.