EMac

Last updated

eMac
EMac Wordmark (2002-2006).svg
Apple-eMac-FL (transparent).png
The Apple eMac
Developer Apple Computer
Type All-in-one
Release dateApril 29, 2002;22 years ago (2002-04-29)
Introductory priceUS$1,099(equivalent to $1,860 in 2023)
DiscontinuedJuly 5, 2006;18 years ago (2006-07-05)
CPU PowerPC 7450, 700 MHz–1.42 GHz
Display17 in (43 cm) flat CRT,
1280 x 960
Mass55 lb (25 kg)
Predecessor iMac G3
Successor iMac G5

The eMac (short for education Mac) is a discontinued all-in-one Mac desktop computer that was produced and designed by Apple Computer. Released in 2002, it was originally aimed at the education market but was later made available as a cheaper mass-market alternative to Apple's "Sunflower" iMac G4. The eMac was pulled from retail on October 12, 2005, and was again sold exclusively to educational institutions thereafter. It was discontinued by Apple on July 5, 2006, and replaced by a cheaper, low-end iMac G5 that, like the eMac, was exclusively sold to educational institutions.

Contents

The eMac design closely resembles the Snow iMac G3, though the eMac was only available in white, slightly larger in size, did not include a carry handle, and was heavier than the preceding G3, weighing 50 lb (23 kg). The unique shape of the computer was also similar to Apple's last CRT-based 17-inch Studio Display, released in 2000 (the last standalone CRT monitor Apple made). The Apple eMac features a PowerPC 7450 (G4e) processor that is significantly faster than the previous-generation PowerPC 750 (G3) processor, as well as a 17-inch flat CRT display, which was aimed at the education market, as LCD screens would be expensive.

Background

In 1998, Apple released the iMac G3, an all-in-one computer built around a cathode-ray tube display. The iMac was a major success for Apple, selling more than five million units; it also sold for as low as US$799, making it the most affordable Mac model Apple offered. In January 2002, Apple announced a successor to the iMac G3, the iMac G4. This iMac was built around a floating flat-panel display, and started at a higher price than the previous generation. While a few models of the iMac G3 remained at lower price points, they lacked power for educational tasks like video. Education customers made up nearly a quarter of Apple's sales, [1] and with Windows-based computers eating into Apple's market share of the sector, Apple consulted with educators to build a cheaper G4-powered successor for the price-conscious market. [2]

Apple announced the eMac on April 29, 2002, [3] to be sold only to education markets. Apple had previously created education-only computer models, including the iMac predecessor Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One. The machine's CRT screen made it cheaper than the iMac G4 (the most expensive configuration was still cheaper than the cheapest iMac G4), and its bulk was intended to make it more resilient to wear and tear in a school setting than the fragile hinge and flat screen of the iMac.

Design

Apple-eMac-Side-wPorts.jpg
Side view. The right side of the computer houses the I/O ports.
Apple-eMac-Bottom.jpg
Bottom view. The bottom features a service hatch for upgrading the computer's memory.

The eMac has a substantially similar design to the iMac G3, but features a larger 17-inch (430 mm) (16-inch viewable) flat-screen CRT monitor. The larger screen has 40 percent more viewing area than the iMac. [2] Thanks to the short-necked CRT, it takes up the same space as the iMac—in fact, it is a few millimeters shorter–but also is heavier, at 50 pounds (23 kg). The computer is powered by a PowerPC G4 processor much faster than the G3-powered iMacs. The machine's serial number and networking identification are printed on the front of the computer behind the optical drive door, intended to make it easier for schools to track purchases. RAM can be upgraded through a service hatch at the bottom of the computer. Apple sold a separate acrylic tilt-and-swivel stand to enable changing the viewing angle of the screen. [4]

Release

After demand from consumers, Apple announced on June 4, 2002 that the eMac would be available through general retail. [5] Regular consumers did not get the same prices and configuration options as education customers; for example, education buyers could get a model without a modem. [6]

The eMac generally catered to the mass market, eventually taking over the entry-level (previously held by the iMac G3) Macintosh from 2003 to 2005, while the iMac G4 was positioned as a premium offering throughout the lifetime of the eMac line. [7] The eMac generally offered similar performance and features to the iMac G4 while they were sold side by side. The eMac was gradually supplanted by the iMac G5 in 2005 to 2006.

In October 2003, 800 MHz model was eliminated as a standard configuration and the 1 GHz model was brought down in price. This revision was the last in the line to officially run Apple's OS 9 operating system natively.

The next revision to the eMac line came in April 2004, with DDR SDRAM, a faster processor running at 1.25 GHz, and a better ATI Radeon 9200 video chipset. The most recent revision came in May 2005, with an even faster CPU running at 1.42 GHz, Radeon 9600 graphics, and larger standard hard disk.

On October 12, 2005, Apple once again restricted sales of the eMac to educational institutions and returned to its "E is for Education" marketing plan that had been attached to the product from the original restriction to education buyers. The company re-implemented this restrictive measure for unspecified reasons. Some analysts believe Apple wanted to force the general public to purchase the more expensive Mac Mini or iMac which had higher profit margins. Also, the eMac was the only CRT display product left in Apple's lineup, which made it somewhat bulky compared to new offerings which had compact form factors due to their LCD screens. The falling cost of LCD displays would also gradually bring down the prices of the iMac G5. However, the eMac was still available for sale to the general public through some third-party retailer websites.

On July 5, 2006, the entire eMac line was discontinued. An "educational configuration" of the iMac Core Duo was introduced that same day, which had a Combo drive rather than a SuperDrive and a smaller 80 GB hard disk.

Early eMac models natively boot Mac OS 9.2.2 and Mac OS X beginning with OS X 10.1.4, while later models only officially boot Mac OS X. 1 GHz and faster models cannot boot OS 9, while eMacs slower than 1 GHz do not officially support 10.5 (requirements are an 867 MHz G4 with 512 MB RAM).

Reception

The eMac was generally well-received. Macworld 's Jason Snell wrote that the eMac served as a worthy successor to the iMac G3. [8] Criticism of the initial release version was that the low amount of installed RAM (128 MB) was not sufficient for Mac OS X. [9]

Technical problems

A number of early eMac machines have suffered from what was known as "Raster Shift", a phenomenon where the bottom third or half of the screen goes black, with the rest of image shifting upward and beyond the top boundary of the display. Serious static also accompanies the problem, rendering the viewable part of the screen virtually useless. In response to the problem, Apple offered a solution which involved the replacement of the video cable inside the eMac's case. [10] [11] Certain models of eMac also suffered from capacitor plague, that caused video distortion or the computer to lock up. [12] Apple responded to these issues by implementing a warranty extension program. [13]

Technical specifications

All are standard configurations from Apple unless otherwise noted.

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete. [a] [14]

ModelFormal nameeMac [15] eMac (ATI Graphics) [16] eMac (USB 2.0) [17] eMac (2005) [18]
Codename"P69""Northern Lights""114P""Q86J"
TimetableReleasedApril 29, 2002August 13, 2002May 6, 2003April 13, 2004May 3, 2005
DiscontinuedMay 6, 2003October 22, 2003April 13, 2004May 3, 2005October 12, 2005 (retail) / July 5, 2006 (education)
IdentifierIDPowerMac4,4PowerMac6,4
ModelA1002 (EMC 1903)A1002 (EMC 1955)A1002 (EMC None)
Order info.M8655M8892M9150M8950M9425M9834
Display 17-inch (16-inch viewable) 1280 x 960 flat CRT
Performance Processor PowerPC 7441 (G4) PowerPC 7445 (G4) PowerPC 7447A (G4) PowerPC 7447B (G4)
Clock speed 700 MHz800 MHz1.0 GHz1.25 GHz
1.0 GHz for education only		1.42 GHz
1.25 GHz for education only
CPU cache 64 KB L1, 256 KB L2 (1:1)64 KB L1, 512 KB L2 on chip (1:1)
Front side bus 100 MHz133 MHz167 MHz
Memory 128 MB PC133 SDRAM
Expandable up to 1 GB		256 MB of PC133 SDRAM
Expandable up to 1 GB		256 MB 333 MHz PC2700 DDR SDRAM (512 MB for 1.42 GHz SuperDrive model)
Expandable up to 2 GB (officially only 1 GB is supported) [19] [b] [20]
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX with 32 MB DDR SDRAMATI Radeon 7500 with 32 MB DDR SDRAMATI Radeon 9200 with 32 MB DDR SDRAMATI Radeon 9600 with 64 MB DDR SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9200 with 32 MB DDR SDRAM for education only
AGP 2xAGP 4x
Storage Hard drive 40 GB40 GB, 60 GB, [b] 80 GB [b] 40 GB, 80 GB [b] 40 GB, 80 GB, [b] 120 GB, [b] 160 GB [b]
Ultra ATA/66Ultra ATA/100
Optical drive 32x CD-ROM2X SuperDrive (DVD-RW) Combo Drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) standard or SuperDrive (DVD-RW) [b]
CD-RW Standard for initial 700 MHz model
CD-ROM Standard for 800 MHz refresh
SuperDrive Standard for initial 800 MHz model
ConnectionsWireless AirPort 802.11b [c] AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g [c]
Ethernet10/100 BASE-T Ethernet
Modem56k V.90 modem56k V.92 modem (optional on education 1.25 GHz models)
Bluetooth—Optional Bluetooth 1.1
USB3x USB 1.13x USB 2.0
FireWire2x FireWire 400
AudioBuilt-in 18-watt stereo speakersBuilt-in 16-watt stereo speakersBuilt-in 18-watt stereo speakers
Video out Mini-VGA at up to 1280x960 (mirrored mode only).
Unofficially, can be altered to support extended display mode in models with ATI graphics using a tool called Screen Spanning Doctor.
Operating SystemOriginal Mac OS X 10.1.4 "Puma" and Mac OS 9.2.2 Mac OS X 10.2.6 "Jaguar"
Mac OS 9.2.2 [b] 		Mac OS X 10.2.6 "Jaguar" Mac OS X 10.3.3 "Panther" Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
Maximum Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" and Mac OS 9.2.2 Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard"
Weight50 lb / 22.7 kg

Timeline of eMac models

Timeline of iMac and eMac models (sorted by screen sizes)
Mac StudioApple WatchiPadiPhoneMacBookMac MiniPower Mac G5iPodPower Mac G4 CubeiBookPower Macintosh G3iMac (Apple silicon)iMac (Apple silicon)iMac (Apple silicon)iMac ProiMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac (Intel-based)iMac G5iMac G5iMac G4iMac G3#2nd generation: Slot-loadingiMac G4eMaciMac G4iMac G3EMac
See also: List of Mac models

Notes

  1. ↑ Apple products that have been discontinued for 7 years and no longer receive hardware support nor spare parts
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Build to order option
  3. 1 2 Sold separately and had to be installed by end user

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PowerBook</span> Series of Apple laptops based on PowerPC and Motorola 68000

The PowerBook is a family of Macintosh laptop computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1991 to 2006. It was targeted at the professional market; in 1999, the line was supplemented by the home and education-focused iBook family.

iBook Series of laptops by Apple Computer

iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers. It was the first mass consumer product to offer Wi-Fi network connectivity, which was then branded by Apple as AirPort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Mac G4 Cube</span> Personal computer produced by Apple Inc. from 2000 to 2001

The Power Mac G4 Cube is a Mac personal computer sold by Apple Computer, Inc. between July 2000 and 2001. The Cube was conceived as a miniaturized but powerful computer by Apple chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Jobs and designed by Jony Ive. Apple developed new technologies and manufacturing methods for the product—a 7.7-inch (20 cm) cubic computer housed in clear acrylic glass. Apple positioned it in the middle of its product range, between the consumer iMac G3 and the professional Power Mac G4. The Cube was announced at the Macworld Expo on July 19, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Macintosh G3</span> Series of personal computers by Apple

The Power Macintosh G3 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from November 1997 to August 1999. It represented Apple's first step towards eliminating redundancy and complexity in the product line by replacing eight Power Macintosh models with three: Desktop and Mini Tower models for professional and home use, and an all-in-one model for education. The introduction of the Desktop and Mini Tower models coincided with Apple starting to sell build-to-order Macs directly from its web site in an online store, which was unusual for the time as Dell was the only major computer manufacturer doing this. Apple's move to build-to-order sales of the Power Macintosh G3 also coincided with the acquisition of Power Computing Corporation, which had been providing telephone sales of Macintosh clones for more than two years.

Macworld/iWorld was an information technology trade show with conference tracks dedicated to Apple's Mac platform. It was held annually in the United States during January. Originally Macworld Expo and then Macworld Conference & Exposition, the gathering dates back to 1985. The conference was organized by International Data Group (IDG), co-publisher of Macworld magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac OS X Jaguar</span> Third major release of Mac OS X

Mac OS X Jaguar is the third major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system. It superseded Mac OS X 10.1 and preceded Mac OS X Panther. The operating system was released on August 23, 2002. It was available both for single-computer installations and in a "family pack" that allowed five installations on separate computers in one household. Jaguar was the first Mac OS X release to publicly use its code name in marketing and advertisements.

Apple Inc. has sold a variety of LCD and CRT computer displays since introducing their first display in 1980. Apple paused production of their own standalone displays in 2016 and partnered with LG to design displays for Macs. In June 2019, the Pro Display XDR was introduced, however it was expensive and targeted for professionals. In March 2022, the Studio Display was launched as a consumer-targeted counterpart. These are currently the only Apple-branded displays available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PowerBook G4</span> Series of notebook computers created by Apple Computer

The PowerBook G4 is a series of notebook computers manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple Computer between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line of notebooks. The PowerBook G4 runs on the RISC-based PowerPC G4 processor, designed by the AIM (Apple/IBM/Motorola) development alliance and initially produced by Motorola. It was built later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor business under that name in 2004. The PowerBook G4 has had two different designs: one with a titanium body with a translucent black keyboard and a 15-inch screen; and another in an aluminum body with an aluminum-colored keyboard, in 12-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Mac G4</span> Series of personal computers

The Power Mac G4 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2004 as part of the Power Macintosh line. Built around the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors, the Power Mac G4 was marketed by Apple as the first "personal supercomputers", reaching speeds of 4 to 20 gigaFLOPS. This was the first existing Macintosh product to be officially shortened as "Mac", and is the last Mac able to boot into classic Mac OS with the introduction of MacOS X.

iMac G5 All-in-one personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc.

The iMac G5 is a series of all-in-one personal computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 2004 to 2006. The iMac G5 returned to a more traditional design after the "sunflower" iMac G4, with the computer components fitted behind a liquid-crystal display and mounted on an aluminum foot. The computer was designed around the need to cool its PowerPC 970 processor, and features an interior divided into zones for cooler, quieter operation.

iMac G4 All-in-one personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer

The iMac G4 is an all-in-one personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from January 2002 to August 2004. The computer is comprised of a hemispheric base that holds the computer components, including the PowerPC G4 processor, with a flatscreen liquid-crystal display (LCD) mounted above. The display is connected to the base via a stainless steel arm that allows the monitor to be tilted and swiveled.

iMac G3 1998–2003 all-in-one computer by Apple

The iMac G3, originally released as the iMac, is a series of Macintosh personal computers that Apple Computer sold from 1998 to 2003. The iMac was Apple's first major product release under CEO Steve Jobs following his return to the financially troubled company he co-founded. Jobs reorganized the company and simplified the product line. The iMac was designed as Apple's new consumer desktop product—an inexpensive, consumer-oriented computer that would easily connect to the Internet.

iMac (Intel-based) Line of all-in-one desktop computers by Apple Inc.

The iMac is a series of all-in-one desktop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. Between 2006 and 2022, the iMac series used chipsets based on Intel architecture. While sold, it was one of three desktop computers in the Mac lineup, serving as an all-in-one alternative to the Mac Mini, and sat below the performance range Mac Pro. It was sold alongside a higher-end, Xeon-based iMac Pro from 2017 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Mini</span> Desktop computer by Apple Inc.

Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. As of 2022, it is positioned between the consumer all-in-one iMac and the professional Mac Studio and Mac Pro as one of four current Mac desktop computers. Since launch, it has shipped without a display, keyboard, and mouse. The machine was initially branded as "BYODKM" as a strategic pitch to encourage users to switch from Windows and Linux computers.

iMac Line of all-in-one desktop computers by Apple Inc.

The iMac is a series of all-in-one computers from Apple Inc. operating on the MacOS. Introduced by Steve Jobs in August 1998 when the company was financially troubled, the computer was an inexpensive, consumer-oriented computer that would easily connect to the Internet. Since that time, it has remained a primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings and evolved through seven distinct forms.

iMac Pro All-in-one desktop computer designed and built by Apple Inc.

The iMac Pro is an all-in-one personal computer and workstation sold by Apple Inc. from 2017 to 2022. At its release, it was one of four desktop computers in the Macintosh lineup, sitting above the consumer range Mac Mini and iMac, and serving as an all-in-one alternative to the Mac Pro. After the cylindrical Mac Pro redesign went years without any update, Apple hosted a roundtable with journalists promising a redesign and commitment to professional Mac computers; the iMac Pro was introduced in the interim before the revised Mac Pro shipped in 2019.

Apple Inc. has produced and sold numerous music and multimedia speakers, available for standalone purchase and bundled with Macintosh products.

iMac (Apple silicon) All-in-one desktop computer designed and built by Apple Inc.

The iMac with Apple silicon is a line of all-in-one desktop Macs made by Apple Inc. since 2021. The first major redesign of the iMac line since 2012, the case and internals were redesigned to use Apple's custom processors, starting with the M1 system on a chip. The Apple silicon iMac features a 24-inch screen in a thin aluminum enclosure, elevated off the resting surface by a foot, and comes in seven colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacBook Pro (Intel-based)</span> Line of notebook computers

The Intel-based MacBook Pro is a discontinued line of Macintosh notebook computers sold by Apple Inc. from 2006 to 2021. It was the higher-end model of the MacBook family, sitting above the low-end plastic MacBook and the ultra-portable MacBook Air, and was sold with 13-inch to 17-inch screens.

References

  1. ↑ Hales, Linda (June 29, 2002). "At Awards, the I's Have It; The iMac and Three Other Apple Concepts Take Gold for Industrial Design". The Washington Post . p. C2.
  2. 1 2 Michaels & Cellini 2002, p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Apple Unveils New eMac for Education". Apple Newsroom. April 29, 2002. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  4. ↑ Musilek 2002, p. 15.
  5. ↑ "Apple To Offer Popular eMac to Consumers". Apple Newsroom. June 4, 2002. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ Snell 2002, p. 35.
  7. ↑ Wood, Molly (January 14, 2005) [June 10, 2004]. "Apple eMac PPC Review". CNET. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  8. ↑ Snell 2002, p. 34.
  9. ↑ Not just for learners: [1 - STATE Edition] The Advertiser; Adelaide, S. Aust. [Adelaide, S. Aust]. 27 July 2002: 85.
  10. ↑ "ALERT: Fix for the eMac "raster shift" problem - CNET". Reviews.cnet.com. September 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Procedure to Replace the IVAD Cable". Welovemacs.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ "eMac logic board failures (#2): AppleCare reminder; Blown capacitors". CNET. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Odds and Ends: Apple offers eMac Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues". CNET. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty". support.apple.com. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  15. ↑ "eMac – Technical Specifications". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  16. ↑ "eMac (ATI Graphics) – Technical Specifications". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  17. ↑ "eMac (USB 2.0) – Technical Specifications". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  18. ↑ "eMac (2005) – Technical Specifications". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Apple eMac G4/1.25 (USB 2.0) Specs (M9425LL/A) - Technical Specifications @ EveryMac.com". EveryMac.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Apple eMac G4/1.42 (2005) Specs (M9834LL/A) @ EveryMac.com". EveryMac.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.