[ja0912]

I have serious doubts that the eMac is staying G4, or it would have had an update already. Nor is it getting cheaper as Apple has stated they see no reason to enter the sub-$800 market. I'm already convinced that the next eMac update would be a G5, assuming the Power Mac gets a speed bump around the same time and the iMac gets a bump a couple months after to give it room. I also feel that the division between "desktop" and "portable" has more weight than the division between "pro" and "consumer". I'm not even posting to discuss the chip.

Does anyone see the eMac being replaced by an entirely different product? Is the education iMac G5 model (no optical drive $1099) a repacement for the all-in-one eMac or simply another choice in addition to the eMac?

You know what I'm getting at, but I dare not explicity say it as it's such a hotly debated topic among the Mac community. Am I crazy to still think the eMac could be replaced?

[DMBand0026]

No dice. eMac stays G4 simply because it has no reason at all to go G5. The cost would be higher, the R&D that would have to go into it would take up a lot of valuable time and money, it's just not needed IMHO.

It's an education computer, no education institution is looking for anything more than an an advanced websurfer and or word processor. If they are, they'll get towers or even iMacs.

The fact is, schools don't need that kind of power for lab computers, unless of course it's a graphic or multimedia arts lab. And like I said, in that case they'll go with what will give them more power.

The eMac is good, drop the price another $100 (come on Apple, you know you can) and throw in faster G4s and a nicer graphics card when the PowerBooks go G5.

[defaultmike]

I'd like it to stay G4 for a while, just so that apple could target another audience
they should get some of those new 7448 freescale chips, and stick 'em in there. Drop the price to 599 and it'd be golden

[psmith2.0]

If that came to be, I'd buy one for everyone I knew.

[Jim S.]

Anyone have good information of the price difference between Freescale's G4s and IBM's G5s? There was a time when folks thought the more advanced G5 would actually be cheaper than the G4 due to manufacturing efficiencies. The expected low-power G5s for Powerbooks might hold the key to low-cost, low-frequency G5s that could go into a very small desktop. I would imagine that Apple would want to convert everything to 64-bit as soon as possible since that would start the timer on future support of 32-bit machines. I'd guess that means about five years before they would stop supporting 32-bit systems.

[ja0912]

Originally Posted by defaultmike I'd like it to stay G4 for a while, just so that apple could target another audience they should get some of those new 7448 freescale chips, and stick 'em in there. Drop the price to 599 and it'd be golden

It would be nice, but in October Apple's VP seems to have squashed the possibility: “To date, we have chosen not to compete in the sub $800 desktop market.”

Granted, he did say "to date", but I don't see it happening soon. Additionally, I'm not sure Apple could just make the eMac cheaper. They would have to reduce the cost of production. Just because G4 chips aren't worth as much anymore, doesn't mean they cost less to make.

[madmaxmedia]

Originally Posted by Jim S. Anyone have good information of the price difference between Freescale's G4s and IBM's G5s? There was a time when folks thought the more advanced G5 would actually be cheaper than the G4 due to manufacturing efficiencies. The expected low-power G5s for Powerbooks might hold the key to low-cost, low-frequency G5s that could go into a very small desktop. I would imagine that Apple would want to convert everything to 64-bit as soon as possible since that would start the timer on future support of 32-bit machines. I'd guess that means about five years before they would stop supporting 32-bit systems.

What he said.

I always hear that the G5's are cheaper than G4's now. If so, Apple should move the eMac over ASAP. That school kids don't need G5's is not really an excuse, the real reason is for Apple to artificially differentiate from other products (or of course IBM can't make G5's fast enough.) A G4 eMac works fine, but will go eventually go obsolete faster than a G5.

[colonelforbin]

maybe with the release of the imac mini, the emac will go back to being education-only?

[defaultmike]

I somehow doubt that the eMac will continue to exist in the same form factor that it does right now due to the new iMac "mini". Hell, this new mac might "become" the new eMac, or maybe the eMac will go up to a 1.7GHz G4 (while the other would be a 1.25GHz G4), and have airport and bluetooth installed to diferentiate itself more from the new iMac and stand as an "in-between" option from the regular iMacs to the new iMacs.

Then again maybe it'll go G5 and become the same as the 17" 1.6GHz iMac, but only with a CRT instead of LCD... who knows!

[Wickers]

In very late 2005 or early 2006 the eMac will be released with a G5.

It will look like a cross between an iMac G5 and an iPod... with referb LCDs as the screen.

It will rock for education...

[BlueRabbit]

Originally Posted by \/\/ickes It will look like a cross between an iMac G5 and an iPod... with referb LCDs as the screen. It will rock for education...

I doubt it…the main reason the eMac is good for education is that it is a tank. It's pretty much impossible to damage the screen. If a glass CRT monitor gets smeared or whatever, it's easy to wipe it down. If refurb LCD's were used, it would eliminate that advantage…unless…they put the LCD behind a glass cover?

[Wickers]

Originally Posted by BlueRabbit I doubt it…the main reason the eMac is good for education is that it is a tank. It's pretty much impossible to damage the screen. If a glass CRT monitor gets smeared or whatever, it's easy to wipe it down. If refurb LCD's were used, it would eliminate that advantage…unless…they put the LCD behind a glass cover?

Can't tell you much more... but trust me on this one. When the eMac gets it's next body, it will be as I have pointed out. (note: not just a bump in the specs... but when it get's the G5)

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Jim S. . . . I would imagine that Apple would want to convert everything to 64-bit as soon as possible since that would start the timer on future support of 32-bit machines. I'd guess that means about five years before they would stop supporting 32-bit systems.

I've heard from more than one software developer that it's not difficult or time consuming to keep the OS supporting a 32 bit CPU as well as 64 bit. Piece of cake. Those developers also say that most applications will likely stay 32 bit, which will always run fine on OS X. So my thought is that 32 bit CPUs will be around for at least 20 years, and likely forever.

The only reason I can see for a 5 year demise of 32 bit systems would be unethical marketing, called forced obsolescence. Rather, could I see IBM starting to make a G4. There is no reason the G4 couldn't be a great chip, taking lessons from what has been learned in making the G5. Having both 32 and 64 bit CPUs also gives marketing a great way to differentiate between the top and bottom of the product line, and a 32 bit will always be cheaper, all other things being equal.

[Luca]

It's between Jim and Snoopy. First of all, Snoopy's right that for the time being, it's easy to keep 32-bit compatibility. Almost no programs can benefit from having 64-bit code, and in some cases I've heard it actually hurts performance. There's no reason to write QuickTime in 64-bit, for instance, unless it somehow needs more than 4 GB of RAM. However, 32-bit CPUs will eventually go out. Right now they're very mainstream and still just as good as 64-bit CPUs for over 99% of applications. However, 32-bit will eventually go away just as 16-bit computers did. Maybe something like ten years from now, when being limited to 4 GB of memory is actually a major drawback. Right now, though, and for the near future, 32-bit is just fine.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by BlueRabbit I doubt it…the main reason the eMac is good for education is that it is a tank. It's pretty much impossible to damage the screen. If a glass CRT monitor gets smeared or whatever, it's easy to wipe it down. If refurb LCD's were used, it would eliminate that advantage…unless…they put the LCD behind a glass cover?

Someone on AI posted this link:

http://www.rm.com/Secondary/Products...?cref=PD290835

A Windows PC with a protective faceplate for the LCD is already selling. It's possible and it's really a no-brainer for Apple to do the same.

[Snoopy]

For a redesigned eMac, Apple could take the inner workings of the slim $499 Mac and put a 15 inch plus LCD on a flat side. I added "plus" meaning it would be as large as the current eMac CRT viewing area. Apple could add a tilting base and the result is a baby iMac-like thing with a G4. With a small LCD, it would likely sell for the current eMac price. I guess that $300 is enough to cover the LCD. Apple could offer it in two sizes, the 15 inch plus and a 17 inch.

Such a scheme eliminates the need for Apple to offer monitors for the $499 Mac. When someone needs a monitor, they buy the eMac version. If they've got a good monitor, they buy the less costly $499 Mac without monitor. If Apple would really do something like this, who knows, we may see both of them at MWSF.

[.Hack]

The eMac is supposed to get a G5 upgrade at this year's MacWorld expo. Just check around at all of the popular apple speculation sites. But I think that an all-around upgrade for the eMac is due. I personally just don't see the point of leaving the machine as is. I mean, yes, there might be a rise in price, but I doubt that it would get too high...

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by .Hack The eMac is supposed to get a G5 upgrade at this year's MacWorld expo. Just check around at all of the popular apple speculation sites. But I think that an all-around upgrade for the eMac is due. I personally just don't see the point of leaving the machine as is. I mean, yes, there might be a rise in price, but I doubt that it would get too high...

The popular Apple speculation sites have been known to be wrong. The TS report about a $499 headless "iMac" seems much more real to me. If the report is true, why else would this headless Mac be called an iMac, unless some models are an LCD all-in-one. A name like iMac mini makes sense, to mimic the iPod line up and ride the coat tails of iMac's success. If Apple is about to add this iMac mini to its product lineup, there will likely be two models sporting an LCD display, with a DVD burner at the top end.

[.Hack]

Originally Posted by Snoopy The popular Apple speculation sites have been known to be wrong. The TS report about a $499 headless "iMac" seems much more real to me. If the report is true, why else would this headless Mac be called an iMac, unless some models are an LCD all-in-one. A name like iMac mini makes sense, to mimic the iPod line up and ride the coat tails of iMac's success. If Apple is about to add this iMac mini to its product lineup, there will likely be two models sporting an LCD display, with a DVD burner at the top end.

Right you are. But to me, it just seems logical for Apple to say "we've put a G5 in the eMac, and given it an LCD screen. yay!" And then get onto business, like unveiling Apple's newest product!

Originally Posted by .Hack Right you are. But to me, it just seems logical for Apple to say "we've put a G5 in the eMac, and given it an LCD screen. yay!" And then get onto business, like unveiling Apple's newest product!

But... won't that be making the eMac essentially the same as the iMac G5?

I'm of the opinion that this new "iMac mini" could well be the new eMac. They might change what the "e" stands for, after all - "entertainment" for the home, "education" for schools.

[.Hack]

The point I'm trying to make is that the eMac still had great potential. I really like the eMac, my friend's family runs a photography studio, and they have about 13 misc. macs, one of them being an eMac. It works great! That sucker can run the Adobe Suite quite well. It's also a good computer for college students. Is it portable? No. But it still does a much better job than many PC's, including my own pc (and it's not even a year old, when runnin Photoshop and similar apps, the comp just freezes and then just spazzes out, then goes back to normal. The eMac my friend owns, never does!). I can see the eMac being a nice option for schools as well. I'm not saying the new headless mac won't replace the eMac, I just personally the eMac is the better product until I see the new mac. My personal opinion of the eMac could very well change after the Keynote on the 11th! But for now, the eMac is still a great buy, and would be even better if it got a G5 and a LCD screen in it. And I still think that both the new mac and an updated eMac can/would do extremely well in homes across the world!

[adam_tj]

I like pscates emac over at Mockups Sticky. Connect that to a 15" dell monitor and a suburban high-speed wireless network. And you'd be set. The digital hub for under $700. Maybe Apple could make it float in the air like in the pics.

[polendo]

I just have the feeling that the new comer headless "iMac" could be a new eMac.

[adam_tj]

Makes logical sense. 1)Gets rid of all CRT's in their lineup 2)CheapMac-itll sell like hotcakes.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by polendo I just have the feeling that the new comer headless "iMac" could be a new eMac.

But they may call it an iMac mini or something like that, if we believe most of the TS report.

[alcimedes]

thing is, it will be the eMac, only headless. it will be perfect. rather than being a straight eMac, it will now be the ehMac (e headless) Mac. this will perfectly reflect the average consumer's reaction upon seeing the price/specs of the machine.

"Eh, it's not great, but damn it's pretty cheap".

ehMac. you heard it hear first.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by alcimedes thing is, it will be the eMac, only headless. . .

And I still would not be surprised to see one with a 15 inch LCD - if not now, maybe later. The TS report describes it as thin, possibly like the G5 iMac. With a small LCD on one side, it really is an iMac mini.

[IonYz]

I could see the eMac moving back to the educational sector. See, it was brought to the consumer level because it filled in the low-end. Regardless of what people coin the "e" in eMac it will always mean Education to me. A new headless Mac would be the new "eMac" only in the sense of its role in the consumer lineup.

When you ask people about Apple, on the street and what not. I'd assume the name "iMac" would have more recognition then "eMac".

Not sure if calling another line iMac anything would be smart since it would be such a different form factor but look to the portable line for a two-computer setup. iBook is to iMac as PowerBook is to Power Mac.

If this machine is really going to be marketed as something special, it shouldn't be called any recent product right? "This machine is going to be marketed to a group of people not looking at Power Mac, iMac or even eMacs." or something how it went.

Bring the eMac "back home". It looked great when it was introduced but doesn't fit in at all with the current line. Play "one of these things aren't like the other" with Windows people you know and show them the entire desktop/portable lineup. I'd wage the eMac gets picked the most.

[Quagmire]

TS reports that the eMac will not get G5. The eMac might get killed. According to ts it cost to produce the emac more then the headless mac. They had so much trouble with the CRT in the computer. What I see this if true bad. You have a $499 computer then to have a step up shove out $800 more fo the iMac.

What Apple will do with the eMac, especially in light of the introduction of the headless iMac, remains to be seen. One things almost certain, however: it won't get a G5 processor (contrary to what reports elsewhere have suggested). There's a possibility that Apple may simply scrap the entire line -- sources say the eMac is more expensive to manufacture than a low-end computer should be and Apple has been running into intermittent quality control issues with the 17-inch CRT display housed inside the eMac for more than a year. However, we believe the appeal of an inexpensive all-in-one computer to both education customers and first-time computer buyers (just one plug!) will prolong the eMac's life.

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0501expo6.html