Amazon.com

Power Mac desktops are an expensive choice if you're looking for a mainstream system--we'd recommend an iMac to most consumer buyers--but if you need a graphics or multimedia powerhouse, they're hard to beat. This model offers a 733 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, 128 MB of memory (expandable to 1.5 GB), and a sizable 40 GB hard disk drive. The graphics card is a speedy nVidia GeForce2 MX. The system's CD-RW drive can write at speeds up to 12x, and like all Power Macs, this one comes with 1-Gbps Ethernet, USB, and FireWire ports. There's a 56K modem, too. Both the classic Mac OS 9 and the newer Mac OS X are installed, so you can try both and choose the one that works best for you. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Got OS 10.1 & above? Look no further for your perfect Mac!
I've had the Dual 800 since early September, and it's amazing how quick it is under 10.1 -- forget just wondering about programs optimized for dual processors, the OS itself will take great advantage of this model's dual PowerPC system. Everything executes quickly, from program opening (most at a single "bounce") to printing (I hardly tap the "enter" key and my printer is reacting).

Cram it with RAM (dirt cheap these days) and pair it with an Apple Cinema Display, and you've got the ultimate modern Macintosh. There is no Mac available (as of October 30, 2001) that is better than the Dual 800.

The lost star is in the very minor details...
I have been a Mac user for 14 years. My first experience on a Mac was with an SE that was doctored up to have two floppy drives AND a 20 megabyte hard drive. It was sweet.

Save one brief stint at a crappy post-college temp job, I've been lucky to be able to work on Macs my entire computing life. Sure, I now run Windows in a window on my desktop, but given the alternatives (full fledged Dell+XP misery), I'm pretty fortunate.

Now, this here machine is a fine, fine computer. As Apple's mid-range professional desktop, it can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it with ease. To take full advantage of the potential of the G4, you really need to be able to work natively in OS X. As the applications I rely on to do my job (Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Illustrator) are released for OS X, I look forward to being able to eliminate the Classic (OS 9.2) environment from my computing life.

This is a machine that is designed for graceful using. It is easy to upgrade and maintain (much better than that old SE I once loved), easy on the eyes, and (of course) easy to use.

All of that said, this is not the computer to buy and put in your home so that your kids can do their homework and you can watch your stocks. Most people would have more computer than they required with even the entry-level iMac or iBook. This is a computer for serious users (or people who like fancy things on their desks at home) who require/desire the power that's available in this box.

Up the RAM (it's cheap and if you need this machine than you need it with more RAM) and go for the at least the 17" Apple Studio Display.

It's a shame that the drive writes only at 8x. I know, I know, the cost of producing a Superdrive that burns CD-R at 24x is likely too high to warrant. I still want it...

Works great
We have 3 of these that we use for our college newspaper. They work great because each one has zip drives in them and we don't have to worry about the format of the disk. We can just take the disk from computer to computer, which makes sharing and transferring graphics much easier.

One problem that I seem to have is, being used to my HP Pavilion, I will click on the X on the left, but I forget to close the program. After crashing the computer a few times, I learn my lesson.

Bad Computers
Mac user for 6 years bought 2 dual 800 end of Sept. and within in a month both machines had processors replaced. Started to work on them again and the logic board went out. Apples respones to this was give me 2 more 800, NO THANK YOU! After a couple of weeks delay were not going to chance it and Apple says to bad. Guess the attorney is going to make some money.

Schwing!
I've had this baby for about 4 months now... what a delight. Adjacent to my G4 is a Dell 1.3ghz Pentium III. The clock speed means nada. I fire them up at the same time each morning and about a full minute after the Mac is busy opening applications for me, the Pentium is just starting to show the icons on the desktp. As chip architecture gets improved, you're going to see the Win-Tel crowd also saying that "clock speed doesn't matter" because newer Intel chips will be rated at 300mhz, but be faster than the 1.3gig P3 chips.

To compare a Mac and a Wintel machine is like comparing a pick axe to a chainsaw. Each have their uses, levels of complexity and levels of simplicity.

The dual processor won't do you a heck of a lot of good if you never use OS X. Only a couple of OS 9 apps utilize the dual processors.... OS X is all over that bad boy.

For now, I still work 90% of the time in Classic mode, but this machine still sings. I haven't had one lock-up or crash since I bought this computer. The standard keyboard has been improved and fits normal human adult hands. The power key on the keyboard has been replaced by an eject key, and next to that are "volume up," "volume down," and "mute" buttons for quick volume access.

The CPU is beautiful, stylish and easy to carry. The built-in speaker is classy and delivers decent sound for an internal speaker.

If you're a grahic artist, designer or web developer, this is the machine for you. Using programs like Photoshop and Illustrator in a Windows environment is just clumsy and awkward... graphics programs are meant to run on a Mac.

This is also the best choice for those wanting to create their own movies, CDs, mp3 collections and DVDs. No extra hardware or software to buy... just plug in your camcorder, CD or mp3 player and go! Easy, trouble free, and Koko the Gorilla could add RAM to this machine... no screwdrivers... just open up the latch and snap in your memory. This is the best computer I've ever used. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's simply no better multimedia desktop than a fully-loaded Power Mac. High-speed FireWire connections, a SuperDrive that can read and write both DVDs and CDs, great graphics--what more could you ask for? The Power Mac is also appealing as a high-end business computer or even a gaming desktop. The technical specs are nothing short of mouthwatering: an 867 MHz PowerPC G4 process or, 60 GB hard disk drive, and nVidia GeForce2 MX graphics card. It comes with 128 MB of memory standard, but with support for up to 1.5 GB and its easy-access case design, memory upgrades are easy. Like all Power Macs, this model includes blazing 1 Gbps Ethernet networking and a 56K modem. The system comes with both the classic Mac OS 9 and the slick new Mac OS X installed. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Got OS 10.1 & above? Look no further for your perfect Mac!
I've had the Dual 800 since early September, and it's amazing how quick it is under 10.1 -- forget just wondering about programs optimized for dual processors, the OS itself will take great advantage of this model's dual PowerPC system. Everything executes quickly, from program opening (most at a single "bounce") to printing (I hardly tap the "enter" key and my printer is reacting).

Cram it with RAM (dirt cheap these days) and pair it with an Apple Cinema Display, and you've got the ultimate modern Macintosh. There is no Mac available (as of October 30, 2001) that is better than the Dual 800.

The lost star is in the very minor details...
I have been a Mac user for 14 years. My first experience on a Mac was with an SE that was doctored up to have two floppy drives AND a 20 megabyte hard drive. It was sweet.

Save one brief stint at a crappy post-college temp job, I've been lucky to be able to work on Macs my entire computing life. Sure, I now run Windows in a window on my desktop, but given the alternatives (full fledged Dell+XP misery), I'm pretty fortunate.

Now, this here machine is a fine, fine computer. As Apple's mid-range professional desktop, it can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it with ease. To take full advantage of the potential of the G4, you really need to be able to work natively in OS X. As the applications I rely on to do my job (Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Illustrator) are released for OS X, I look forward to being able to eliminate the Classic (OS 9.2) environment from my computing life.

This is a machine that is designed for graceful using. It is easy to upgrade and maintain (much better than that old SE I once loved), easy on the eyes, and (of course) easy to use.

All of that said, this is not the computer to buy and put in your home so that your kids can do their homework and you can watch your stocks. Most people would have more computer than they required with even the entry-level iMac or iBook. This is a computer for serious users (or people who like fancy things on their desks at home) who require/desire the power that's available in this box.

Up the RAM (it's cheap and if you need this machine than you need it with more RAM) and go for the at least the 17" Apple Studio Display.

It's a shame that the drive writes only at 8x. I know, I know, the cost of producing a Superdrive that burns CD-R at 24x is likely too high to warrant. I still want it...

Works great
We have 3 of these that we use for our college newspaper. They work great because each one has zip drives in them and we don't have to worry about the format of the disk. We can just take the disk from computer to computer, which makes sharing and transferring graphics much easier.

One problem that I seem to have is, being used to my HP Pavilion, I will click on the X on the left, but I forget to close the program. After crashing the computer a few times, I learn my lesson.

Bad Computers
Mac user for 6 years bought 2 dual 800 end of Sept. and within in a month both machines had processors replaced. Started to work on them again and the logic board went out. Apples respones to this was give me 2 more 800, NO THANK YOU! After a couple of weeks delay were not going to chance it and Apple says to bad. Guess the attorney is going to make some money.

Schwing!
I've had this baby for about 4 months now... what a delight. Adjacent to my G4 is a Dell 1.3ghz Pentium III. The clock speed means nada. I fire them up at the same time each morning and about a full minute after the Mac is busy opening applications for me, the Pentium is just starting to show the icons on the desktp. As chip architecture gets improved, you're going to see the Win-Tel crowd also saying that "clock speed doesn't matter" because newer Intel chips will be rated at 300mhz, but be faster than the 1.3gig P3 chips.

To compare a Mac and a Wintel machine is like comparing a pick axe to a chainsaw. Each have their uses, levels of complexity and levels of simplicity.

The dual processor won't do you a heck of a lot of good if you never use OS X. Only a couple of OS 9 apps utilize the dual processors.... OS X is all over that bad boy.

For now, I still work 90% of the time in Classic mode, but this machine still sings. I haven't had one lock-up or crash since I bought this computer. The standard keyboard has been improved and fits normal human adult hands. The power key on the keyboard has been replaced by an eject key, and next to that are "volume up," "volume down," and "mute" buttons for quick volume access.

The CPU is beautiful, stylish and easy to carry. The built-in speaker is classy and delivers decent sound for an internal speaker.

If you're a grahic artist, designer or web developer, this is the machine for you. Using programs like Photoshop and Illustrator in a Windows environment is just clumsy and awkward... graphics programs are meant to run on a Mac.

This is also the best choice for those wanting to create their own movies, CDs, mp3 collections and DVDs. No extra hardware or software to buy... just plug in your camcorder, CD or mp3 player and go! Easy, trouble free, and Koko the Gorilla could add RAM to this machine... no screwdrivers... just open up the latch and snap in your memory. This is the best computer I've ever used. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

PC Convert
I finally gave in and bought a PowerMac. I dumped my PC and WinXP. After using it for two months, I'm a total convert. I don't think I'll be using the PC ever again. This thing is incredible. Apple really does pay attention to detail; even the box the computer comes packaged in is a work of art. It comes bundled with a ton of software and so far I have been able to find everything I have needed. Office, Appleworks, Quicken, Toast. What else can I say other than this has been my best computing experience in > 10 years. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Apple's all-in-one eMac, originally designed for the education market, is now available to everyone. The most affordable G4-based computer series ever, the eMac now includes Apple's SuperDrive, which allows you to burn both recordable DVDs and CDs, along with a suite of Apple software that will allow your digital creativity to flow from the moment you plug in the computer.

The new SuperDrive-equipped eMac model is the industry's lowest-cost way to author and burn custom DVDs that play in most consumer DVD players. Apple's award-winning iMovie and iDVD applications come pre-installed on the new eMac, enabling users to edit their video and create and burn their own custom DVDs without buying additional software.

The popular eMac features a stunning 17-inch flat CRT display in a remarkably compact design. Its shape lets you conserve desk space--the entire computer is smaller than most 17-inch displays, yet it includes not only the display, but also an integrated high-performance stereo audio system with a 16-watt digital amplifier, as well as the SuperDrive. In fact, it's actually less deep (by about 8 mm) than the original groundbreaking 15-inch iMac. It also features 256 MB of system memory, a 60 GB hard drive, and an nVidia GeForce2 MX graphics processor for stunning graphics display.

The eMac's 700 MHz PowerPC G4 processor uses Velocity Engine technology, which makes multimedia tasks like CD burning and digital video editing faster and easier. In addition, it includes Apple's industry-leading suite of digital lifestyle applications. That includes iPhoto for managing and sharing digital photographs, iMovie for creating digital movies, and iTunes for creating a digital music library, as well as iDVD. With five USB ports and two high-speed FireWire ports, the eMac offers easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals such as digital video camcorders, digital still cameras, printers, and scanners.

A built-in 56K modem means you won't need any additional hardware to connect to the Internet. In addition, the eMac comes with a built-in Ethernet connection, which allows it to join your home, office, or school network. An AirPort slot makes it easy to connect the eMac to a wireless network with the addition of an AirPort card. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Generally excellent home computer for family use
First off, I believe Apple has fixed the monitor problem. Mine has worked flawlessly since purchase a couple of weeks ago. In fact, the monitor is one of the best things this computer has going for it. Flat, sharp, clear, excellent color, and 17".

The eMac is an excellent computer for home and family use. People may complain that this machine is underpowered -- I disagree. In my opinion, given the market this machine is supposed to address (home and education), the price/performance ratio can't be beat. This is good and plenty computer for the cost, even when compared to Windows machines intended to compete in that same market.

The 700 mhz G4 is plenty fast for most uses -- most people don't do complicated Photoshop work, for example, and if you do, you wouldn't be looking at a low-end consumer machine anyway. My guess is that the speed compares roughly to a 1.5 ghz Pentium 4.

The GeForce2 video card is probably out of date, and 32 megs VRAM is on the low end. However, the eMac handles all games currently released with aplomb. I've played Wolfenstein, Max Payne, Red Faction, Undying on it at high detail settings (but not maxed), with perfectly playable, reasonably fluid framerates. And the games look great on the flat-screen monitor. I suspect that this computer has at least six months to a year before gaming obsolescence. If gaming is your thing, check out the 17' flat-screen iMac at twice the price. The casual gamer will do just fine with an eMac.

The existence of two firewire ports means that this machine will handle high-speed peripherals without problems. Apple's included applications for burning CD's and DVD's and putting together home movies are the easiest, most intuitive, and best available for home use.

OS X lives up to its reputation for stability and ease of use. I have experienced almost no program crashes, but when I did, it didn't take the whole system with them. Quit the program and continue on your way.

Downsides are that you are probably fixed where internal components are concerned (except RAM). Processor and videocard are soldered onto the motherboard and thus not upgradeable. Hard drive and optical drive are probably upgradeable, but the machine is [hard] to crack open. I've been inside many different macs, and I wouldn't risk opening this one if you paid me.

You will also need to upgrade RAM out of the box. Get at least 256 megs extra. Luckily, RAM is cheap. ... RAM is user-installable through a special opening in the bottom of the computer.

The specs on this machine are the equivalent of the two lower-end flat-screen iMacs. The only difference is price, monitor, the type of RAM accepted, and the ease with which you can upgrade RAM. I personally think the CRT monitor is better than the flat-screen, and bigger too, so I believe the eMac is the better value.

The eMac is absolutely fine in every way, as far as I'm concerned. It is good but not outstanding for specialized purposes (gamers, media professionals may want more horsepower or upgradeable machines). But, it is PERFECT for the use for which it was intended. Families and students will be more than satisfied with price, performance, and appearance.

I bought a tilt-swivel stand and iSub subwoofer too. Indispensible additions. The iSub does wonders for the sound, and the tilt-swivel stand does wonders for ergonomics.

Great Machine for the Money
This is a fantastic machine for the money. It is fast and efficient and runs beautifully. I don't find the fan to be annoying at all. It can actually be quite soothing while I work and turns off when you put the machine to sleep. I would definitely recommend buying with more memory. I bought mine with 512MB, but be sure to start with at least 256MB.

If you want a mac (G4) and are on a budget, this is the machine for you.

Good for newbies to Mac
This thing is constantly surprising me in how out does my old PC. Everyday applications run great and I haven?t had any problems with the hardware. Games run surprisingly well for only a GeForce 2 MX. The only problem is that it isn?t the best at running everything. 700mhz is considered low end for G4 macs these days. But, it is a good deal considering the price. It is also nice that it includes Mac OS 9, so you can boot up in OS 9 to run old applications or to run new ones faster. I could go on to talk about how great Mac OS X is and all the software included, but this is a hardware review, right?

Ridiculously slow, weird design
This model is [not very good] for a Mac, and alas, you get what you pay for. It feels slow and the lack of expansion is already proving a headache for me. I also don't like the design. If I were to pay for a computer myself, I'd stick with a Windows PC for better performance, wider software selection, and better tech support -- all for a lower price.

Try the iMac instead
I've just become the less-than-proud (and certainly much-less-than satisfied) owner of this eMac model.

The good news:

It's easy to set up. Plays DVDs great. Takes up less space than you'd expect from a machine with a 17" monitor. And the ability to switch between OS9 and OSX is useful.

But.

The cooling fan is loud. Very loud. As someone who has personally used just about every Macintosh model that I can think of (ranging from Classics, Quadras and Performas, through iMacs of various generations, right up to dual processor G4 systems), I can safely say that it's the noisiest Mac I've come across. In a quiet room, the fan is easily audible from a distance of 10 feet. If you have a household / classroom full of kids, this might not be too bad, but if you're the type who likes to work in peace, or late at night...maybe not. Like jail and broccoli, it's probably something you can get used to once you've been exposed to it long enough. But why subject customers to such a glaring design flaw in the first place? The older Macs have always been among the quietest computers available.

A more serious problem: my eMac came bundled with display problems.

Apple's promotional literature describes the CRT display as 'gorgeous'. And so it would be, except that the bottom left-hand corner of mine is overlaid with a dirty blue tint.

A bit of browsing around the net revealed that the eMac has been plagued with display glitches since it hit the market. While no manufacturer is infallible, this seems to have been a persistent
problem for several months, and has been acknowledged (although evidently not solved) by Apple. (For more information, check out the discussion forums at Apple.com.) My dealer claimed that new shipments were OK, but well, obviously not.

My advice to the prospective Mac owner? Buy the flat-panel iMac instead (almost the same base specs for the 700MHz model, but a bit more expensive) as it has had fewer problems.

I'd have done the same thing, but it's a bit too late now, and the result of my folly is sitting nearby, humming. Loudly.

(I've just previewed my review. Choosing the 'keep me anonymous' option has automatically rendered me a 'PC Hardware Fan'. I'm not, by any means. I'm just waiting for Apple to restore my faith, after 10 years of pretty good experiences...and one bad one.) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The new dual 867 MHz Power Mac G4 combines the brawn of two fast processors with improved system throughput, and features a high-performance graphics processor, a combination DVD player/CD burner, and the new Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar preloaded.

The dual 867 MHz processors enable the Power Mac to run professional applications like Adobe Photoshop up to 45 percent faster than a 2.53 GHz Pentium 4-based PC. And it's not all about processor speed--a 133 MHz system bus, new memory cache technology boosts, and other engineering improvements inspired by Apple's new Xserve server architecture boost the speed of throughput between main memory and the system controller.

Graphics performance is excellent, with nVidia's GeForce4 MX graphics processor and Mac OS X Jaguar's new Quartz Extreme--a breakthrough combination of software and hardware that accelerates the compositing of 2- and 3-D images using your graphics card instead of the main processor. This gives the Power Mac G4 an order-of-magnitude advance in graphics capabilities--including color, lighting, modeling, transformations, texture mapping, motion blur, and more. In addition, the Power Mac lets you spread your work across two monitors for a larger workspace.

This Power Mac comes with a fast 60 GB Ultra-ATA hard disk drive and three additional 3.5-inch hard disk drive expansion bays--with support for a total of up to four internal hard drives, for up to 480 GB of possible storage.

Since Mac OS X has the ability to burn CDs built right into the system software, you can burn data CDs to archive your work with point-and-click ease, minutes after you take your new system out of its box. It also accommodates a second DVD or CD drive, so you can even watch a DVD movie while your work is burning to disc, or archive material at the same time.

You also get the benefit of built-in Gigabit Ethernet for shooting large files across your network at previously unheard-of speeds, the 108-key Apple Pro keyboard, a 56K modem, four USB ports and two high-speed FireWire ports for connecting all kinds of peripherals, and an AirPort card slot. Four PCI expansion slots are also integrated directly into the main system controller, speeding expansion cards' throughput. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

unbelieveably noisy
I've never written a review for Amazon before, but I feel I must to urge people away from this this product. The primary issue with it is the fan noise. At times it sounds like a jet fighter taking off, at others a whiny AC or air filter set to maximum power. When you're trying to concentrate to get work done, or playing a game, it gets in the way. That alone would be enough to avoid a purchase, but there are other issues.

It's prone to crash when you use an app that is intensive in sound and 3D graphics - in other words, games. When this 1st happened I went thru multiple diagnostics to find out what the issue was. One thing I found, from using Apple's own testing tools, was that the memory chip was corrupted. I got that replaced, but later crashes still occur. I later find out from developers, that their sound API is very unstable.

'Crashes happen in PC's too' you may say. That's true, but when this so called uncrashable OS crashes, its messy and un-graceful. You can't force quit the program under a severe crash, and there is no way to force a reboot - no reset button, no cntl-alt-delete mechanism outside of pressing the power button for 10 seconds, or unplugging the cord (and I'm aware of the combo with esc-opt-eject whatever, that doesn't work).

This is obviously a system that was rushed out of the gate w/o sufficient testing and review. By far the worst computer Apple ever produced. Think different Apple.

Good If You Need Flexibility
Originally I set out with the 17" iMac as the kind of machine I'd like most. But when I saw the actual screen at the Apple Store, I found it to handle text and pictures fairly poorly [not that it's worse than most LCD screens out there] and so the only alternative was to go to the Tower, which also gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of memory, hard-drives and driving multiple screens at the same time [important if you're going to do video editing].

I can't say much for Apple's quality control, as it seems I ended up with a lemon with my first one, after a very frustrating week spending endless hours on the phone with the help desk. They finally agreed to replace it, and I haven't had any major problems since. Keep in mind that the software bundle with the Tower does NOT include any word processing application. Currently there is a deal to buy Microsoft's Office suite in conjunction with a computer purchase for $199, and I think that's a great deal for a superior product to it's PC mothership.

OS X.2/Jaguar is definitely very sophisticated, yet simpler to use than OS 9.2. But it certainly isn't nearly as reliable as they would have you believe. There are still going to be numerous reboots necessary--just not nearly as many as with another OS [certainly not as many as on Windows ___].

There is definitely the idea in the computer world, from the software point of view, that Mac/OS X makes you some kind of "red-haired stepchild." The difficulty is more with websites/software that don't make clear they have no Mac/OS X version right upfront. There are also some problems with printers etc. not having the proper drivers. But in compensation, the Mac "community" [and I think it can be rightly called that] steps in with a much more personalized response to specific issues to help you out. They want to help you have the best computer experience possible, and I think on balance you end up with one with a Mac in general, and specifically with this Tower should you need the specific flexibility I've mentioned.

I recommend getting the "Superdrive" option with it, so you can burn DVD's for storage or video display. Also I recommend buying extra RAM memory [DDR memory is more expensive, yet not noticeably faster--but you have to get it], and another hard drive. It's a pain to install [why can't they put any time in the design of things like that as they do other elements??], but great to have onboard instead of as a firewire-connected model. I really like my Monsoon speakers as well.

I got the LaCie 19-III monitor, which is terrific. Unfortunately OS X's "text smoothing" results in blurry, inconsistent text letters [even on their Cinema Displays], but I find the CRT superior for color correcting photos/video and a lot cheaper for what you're getting than LCD's. Apple customer service is definitely a cut above the average intelligence, but they're not very good at follow-up or dealing with major issues that don't meet their initial job descriptions. The also are only open until 6PM pst, so that leaves out a lot of time when you may need help.

Bottom line: not a breakthrough Apple product, but a good value and the best computer if you're going to be using Photoshop, iMovie/Final Cut Pro etc. and want to use monitors that are going to produce the best results.

Power^2
This computer is FAAAAAAAST. Fast is the only way to describe it. Having TWO G4 processors at 867 MHZ makes this machine absolutely scream through all of the tasks I can put it through. Since OS X takes advantage of both processors as well as the velocity "Altivec" engine, all system tasks are completed instantaneously.

Now that more and more applications are being released for OS X, there is no need to boot into OS 9(although it is still possible). OS X is the future of computing. A Rock solid UNIX foundation ensures that your computer will virtually never crash. I have had mine for almost two months, and the system has never crashed on me. Apps(Internet explorer, for one) have crashed before but it doesn't cause a full fledged system lockup.

The one thing that you will need to do is buy an extra 512 MB of RAM. In this case, you need PC2100 DDR RAM(266MHz).

The graphics performance of this machine is also quite impressive. I personally bought the Radeon 9000 Pro with my machine but this particular model comes stock with the GeForce 4 MX. This card is good for current games(Q3, RTCW, Medal of Honor, Warcraft 3), but the lack of shaders and advanced Anti Aliasing capability mean that games like Doom 3 will struggle to play smoothly.

The Specs listed on Amazon's page are a little misleading. It says, for instance that the machine comes with 1 MB of L2 cache, when in fact it comes with 1 MB of L3 cache as well as 256k L2 cache. the L3 cache really adds an extra kick to the processors ability to crunch information without having to access the RAM or the hard drive.
Also, it says the machine is not 3d capable. Huh? I believe the fact that it has a 3d card makes it quite capable.
Amazon's specs for the combo drive are also incorrect. the CD-RW part of the combo drive can write at 16x and rewrite at 10x.

Anyway, from my own experience, this is a wonderful machine that has it waiting for me more than me waiting for it. Highly recommended.

Pricey, but better than most in it's price range..
This computer is pricey, but it is certainly better than most of the pc's in this price range. This Power Mac is well built, like all Apple products, and runs the world class Mac OS X. This operating system is awesome, and combined with the stability of it's Linux base, and the dual Power PC processors, it's nearly impossible to freeze or crash this computer. And you couldn't bog it down if you wanted to. I've had mine for several weeks and haven't had it fail me yet.

All in all, this a great system. It's sort of like the BMW of computers. And if you buy Virtual PC you can even run Windows XP on this system. There are no limits to what you can do with a Power Mac. Truely awesome....

So much less, so much more...
For the amount of money this costs you could have a c 3x better. If your a gamer, or a wanna be gamer, get a PC. PCs have many differnet brands, types and parts, but they all fit together and run one good OS. More games, more parts, better prices, more choice! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Descriptions

Affordable, user-friendly and surprisingly diminutive, Apple's new eMac series of desktop computers meshes well with situations where space is at a premium and the user is not necessarily a computing expert. It is therefore a particularly good fit in the elementary or high school classroom.

The least expensive member of the new eMac trio, the eMac Desktop 17" M9150LL/A, is distinguished from other eMacs by virtue of its slower processor, smaller hard disk and less capable optical drive format. The unit is powered by an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, 128 MB of SDRAM memory (expandable to one full GB) and an efficient ATI Radeon 7500 graphics chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory. Data handling options include an adequate 40 GB hard disk for file and data storage, a CD-ROM drive through which users may play audio and video CDs and install programs, and a pair of high-speed FireWire 400 ports and five traditional USB 1.1 ports for interaction with peripheral devices such as scanners and digital cameras.

The eMac Desktop 17" M9150LL/A features a variety of E-communication facilities include a standard 56K modem, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port and an 802.11 wireless connection (with the addition of Apple's AirPort Extreme card). Surprisingly, Apple has managed to equip the system with a generous 17-inch flat CRT display screen while adhering to the space-efficient exterior dimensions of its popular 15-inch-CRT-based iMac.

Bundled software includes Mac OS X, World Book 2003, Quicken 2003 Deluxe, and a broad range of powerful multimedia utilities. Prospective buyers should note that the eMac supports the operation of Mac OS 9 in Classic mode and integrates with most existing printers and scanners. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A PC Hardware Fan is ABSOULTEY RIGHT!
I am an apple fan through and through, and when my original iMac finally blew after over 6yrs and had to quickly purchase a new computer, I looked straight to the new eMac models. I researched this product thoroughly and all of the information that I received basically labled both of the eMac models with capabilities of burning CDs, and viewing DVDs. I never knew that there was an eMac model in existence that was sold BEFORE these models. So when I happily purchased this eMac, thinking I was getting a great deal, I was told by the retail associate that ALL of the eMac models had these features. I never knew that this model did NOT. They act like this model didn't even EXIST! I am very disappointed in this purchase mainly because of the misinformation currently available about each of these models. This is just a glorified version of the older iMacs and the manual does not tell you a THING about how to use this new operating system. You will HAVE to purchase supplement manuals by other publishers to even get a CLUE unless you're already familiar with newer iMac models and MacOSX. So, buyers beware. Just make sure that you're getting what you expect to get with this model, and not being misinformed.

Absolutely unfair that Apple would have ever sold this model
This computer looks and feels just like the more expensive versions except for a crucial difference...The Superdrive or the Combo drive which Apple is so constantly hyping doesn't come on this model. All you get is a CD rom drive. And if you want to use iDVD or iTunes to burn music? YOu can't! You must buy a separate drive and then hunt on the internet for hack software to try to play DVDs. iDVD will not work AT ALL on your machine. Apple even went so far as to install a microchip to stop your computer from playing iDVD on any drive but a Superdrive. The other problem is Mac OSX. It is a nightmare! Imagine returning to the days when you had to experiment with everything on your computer just to find out how each program worked. There is NO instruction manual for OSX. And it is very non-user friendly. BEWARE and stay far away from Apple. They are interested in only one thing...selling new and newer computers. They will do anything they can to get you to buy a brand new machine.

World's most user-friendly computer at a bargain price.
A recent user survey in PC magazine identified Apple computers as the most reliable and easiest to use computers currently available. Yes, most people use Windows-based PCs, but do you want to be another member of the PC herd -- with all of the problems and frustrations presented by Windows-based PCs -- or are you looking for a computer which is user friendly and seldom crashes? If ease of use and reliability are more important to you than being one of the crowd, please seriously consider buying an Apple. Since the eMac is Apple's least expensive computer, it's a terrific way to enter the user-friendly world of Apple computers at a very reasonable price. And don't be concerned about the 800 MHz processor, this is a very fast computer -- G4 processors are equivalent to Pentium processors twice their speed. If you're willing to try something off the beaten path, you'll love this computer.

Great Computer
This is a great computer for all those 'normal' people out there. Ones who don't do much more than email, instnatmessage, surf the web, and use appleworks type software. Its a great computer at a really low price.Plus it makesa perfect digital hubwith all its firewireand usb ports. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Apple's all-in-one eMac, originally designed for the education market, is now available to everyone. The most affordable G4-based computer series ever, the eMac now includes Apple's SuperDrive, which allows you to burn both recordable DVDs and CDs, along with a suite of Apple software that will allow your digital creativity to flow from the moment you plug in the computer.

The new SuperDrive-equipped eMac model is the industry's lowest-cost way to author and burn custom DVDs that play in most consumer DVD players. Apple's award-winning iMovie and iDVD applications come pre-installed on the new eMac, enabling users to edit their video and create and burn their own custom DVDs without buying additional software.

The popular eMac features a stunning 17-inch flat CRT display in a remarkably compact design. Its shape lets you conserve desk space--the entire computer is smaller than most 17-inch displays, yet it includes not only the display, but also an integrated high-performance stereo audio system with a 16-watt digital amplifier, as well as the SuperDrive. In fact, it's actually less deep (by about 8 mm) than the original groundbreaking 15-inch iMac. It also features 256 MB of system memory, a 60 GB hard drive, and an nVidia GeForce2 MX graphics processor for stunning graphics display.

The eMac's 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor uses Velocity Engine technology, which makes multimedia tasks like CD burning and digital video editing faster and easier. In addition, it includes Apple's industry-leading suite of digital lifestyle applications. That includes iPhoto for managing and sharing digital photographs, iMovie for creating digital movies, and iTunes for creating a digital music library, as well as iDVD. With five USB ports and two high-speed FireWire ports, the eMac offers easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals such as digital video camcorders, digital still cameras, printers, and scanners.

A built-in 56K modem means you won't need any additional hardware to connect to the Internet. In addition, the eMac comes with a built-in Ethernet connection, which allows it to join your home, office, or school network. An AirPort slot makes it easy to connect the eMac to a wireless network with the addition of an AirPort card. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Superior to Windows
To start off: if you are thinking about making "the switch", go for it! The eMac is perfect for people who want the power of the G4 processor for less money than an iMac.

I've always been a supporter of the Mac, but haven't used them most of my life. At my house, my parents use Wintel boxes with Windows XP Pro installed. While this is M$'s best operating system yet, it doesn't come anywhere close to Mac OSX. If you use Windows, you know that it crashes way too often. Mac OSX will never crash on you, mainly because its based on Unix. So all you Unix, Linux and Windows users, your search for rock solid stability is o.v.e.r.

The eMac comes with a treasure trove of software preinstalled on it. Applications like iTunes, iMovie, iDVD (if you get the Superdrive version of eMac) and iPhoto are perfect for managing your digital lifestyle. I use iTunes all the time to easily create and burn CD's for everyone in my family!

But music and movies isn't all the Mac is good for, at my school I am the layout editor for our newspaper. Windows just didn't cut it for creating the paper, but this Mac is godsend. While I am currently looking into buying M$ Office X, I use Appleworks to create everything. Appleworks seemlessly can open Word documents. In fact, Macs coexist and speak to Windows boxes better than most Windows do themselves!

The eMac was originally created for schools and education. In part, the same goes for me. Being a student, I find the eMac can easily do any task. It includes the World Book Encyclopedia (an excellent refernce and info source) installed on it. Running many programs at the same time is a breeze. One thing I would suggest is that you purchase some extra RAM for this computer. 256k is kinda low, I would recommend 512 MB's.

While some people may shun Apple's good looks and slick designs, don't be fooled, they aren't all fluff and no substance. The built in sound system is excellent, light years ahead of Wintel built in "sound systems". The graphics are very sharp, pretty good for games.

Bottom line:

This computer is great for everyone, now stop reading and go buy it!

Apple does it Again...
All mac fans know that the iMac was a great success. The new eMac doesn't fall short of the iMac reputation. This computer is perfectly designed for schools, has a lot of power, and is overall a great computer. I would say that even people who don't happen to own a school could use this computer as a great resource. If you are looking for a Mac, I would recommend this one.

I Just Wanted a Computer that Actually Works
Hubba Hubba. I got home, took out the Mac, and within an hour, I'd already set it up, connected to the internet, surfed the web, and burned a music CD mix. The ads don't lie.

A year ago, I gave in to pressure from friends/PC owners who told me I could get a faster, cheaper computer which ran all my software from work. It was definitely cheaper, but after a year of poor performance, regular system crashes, and difficulty performing the most basic tasks (like burning a CD or installing software), I moved back to Mac.

I'd never tell anyone not to get a PC, but I would recommend this Mac if it's important to you to own a reasonably-priced, all-in-one setup that burns CDs and DVDs, has tons of style, and works well on a regular basis.

p.s. I'm not really a 1 year old. well, maybe in terms of maturity...

An amazing product for the money
Here is a computer that truly empowers the user to be part of the digital revolution. The best part? Someone else did all the hard work. Apple, in one fell swoop, gives you the power to create your own CDs, DVDs, manage MP3s, make movies, and more. To be fair, all of these things are possible on a PC as well, but not out of the box and not without some fairly intense software/hardware juggling. There are some trade-offs for this machine. Apple does not supply enough RAM for it. get a minimum of another 128 megs (though 256-512 more would be better) and as of yet, there are no upgrade paths available. Some enterprising company will eventually come up with something (they always do!). If you use this machine online and send email to misguided PC using friends, you may also want to take advantage of the discount available for Microsoft Office for OSX. It too is an amazing product (doubly so for coming from Microsoft ) with many features not available for the PC version. If movies are one of the reasons you buy this machine, another piece of hardware may be needed. If you have a digital camcorder with iLink/firewire, then you're good to go! If you have an older camcorder or lots of footage on VHS, you may need (again depending on your digital camcorder as some allow analog pass though)an analog to digital converter. Sony makes a good one as does Dazzle. I personally use the Dazzle DV bridge and have been very happy with it. Also spend a little more at the altar of Apple and download QuickTime Pro for 29.99. It's a great companion piece to iMovie. For iMovie tricks, get the excellent book by Erica Sadun called iMovie 2 Solutions also available at Amazon.

Apple is Over
I have been a die-hard Apple fan forever...but I have to finally admit the Mac is obsolete. First of all, the processors are slow. The fastest one is about 800 mhz. For the same price you can get a PC that is 2 GHZ! Also the lack of software has become a big issue. I have a Mac and I can't find any reliable program to download songs, etc. I have to ask friends to let me use their PC. Finally, OSX is the last straw. I know many graphic designers and not one has upgraded to the new system software. It lacks even basic features that are common in OS9. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

not so impressed...
The first thing that is immediately noticable about this computer is that it is LOUD. After using an iMac, which is virtually silent, this came as a great surprise.

The second thing I noticed is that the mouseclicks don't seem as crisp as on other Macs. For example, if you go to a menu item and click there is a perceptible hesitation, and when you release the click the menu seems to "fade away" instead of just closing. I don't know if this is a function of OS X, but it's not pleasant.

The screen is huge and the picture quality is good. the sound quality is good.

I haven't used OS X before. My immediate reaction is I don't like it, after having used Macs since the SE 30.

The computer was packaged well. UPS managed not to destory it, which says alot. (One foam insert was cracked, but not all the way through and the computer was fine.)

As always hooking up the computer and getting on line was extremely easy.

As always, any Mac is better than any Wintel machine.

Very good value
After looking at several Mac options (I've been a heavy Mac user more than 15 years, put up with Windows at work, and continue to marvel at how well Apple keeps plugging along), we chose the eMac. And we have no regrets.

At about sixty pounds the eMac is heavy. The fan can be a little noisy but only for perfectionists. Add some extra memory and airport card and you have a great value. I don't see this as anything but fast, but I've not run side-by-side comparisons. The screen is very large (40% more than my original iMac) and quite crisp. We added the eMac easily to our home wireless network.

The sexier, flat-screen iMac is much more expensive. Even the salesman who wanted me to buy up could not argue that I could get more value from the iMac, just pay about a lot more. We passed.

Jaguar was not available when we purchased the eMac in late July; we received and easily installed Jaguar as soon as it became available. We received a free printer (cartridges make these "free" printers pretty poor freebies). And we installed the OS X Office suite upgrade. Although some Mac games crashed on my kids on my original iMac without explanation, they work fine on the eMac. And our three-year old can manage to install, launch and play them.

This is an affordable, reliable, solid, easy-to-use, work horse machine for a family.

This computer is great
I have had my unit for several months now with zero problems. I easily upgraded my memoty to 1gb and that was well worth it. I run photoshop and illustrator as well as indesign for school and have no problems with the machine operating this software. I also purchased a kodak digital camera which works great with i-photo. This was a very positive purchase as well as being my first mac and I will definatly purchase a mac again.

Get an iMac
My Uncle bought an eMac and it never works right. He puts a lot of software on it which is probably the problem. It also won't work with his MP3 player. I wouldn't work with the scanner he bought until he called tech support for an hour. I have a friend in my Mac club who took his eMac back and bought an iMac for similiar reasons. His iMac works great. This model may be cheap but you get what you pay for. Save yourself the trouble.

Out of date when the dinosaurs roamed the earth
Um, 700MHz G4? 128MB of *Single* data rate ram? GeForce MX2 graphics? Is there anything on this computer that isn't years out of date?

Okay:
700MHz G4, okay for a laptop that needs low power. Not okay for a desktop where you would really like to be able to play the latest game, not think "go gee maybe it's time to upgrade!" every time you read the system requirements.

128MB of *Single* data rate ram??? You've got to be kidding me. Even the cheapest Emachines computer on the market uses *Double* data rate ram! Just what your slow CPU needs, a slow memory sub-system.

GeForce2MX graphics: ... You will notice down really low where all the old out of date video cards are running games so slow you can get a cup of coffee between frames, is the GeForce2MX. End of story.

I love Apple, but I would really like it if they started building computers again, not 'entertainment appliances.' This is the kind of computer you give to your grandparents to check email with because you bought it five years ago. End of story. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The latest dual 1 GHz Power Mac G4 improves system bandwidth with engineering enhancements that include a 167 MHz system bus, and features a new-generation graphics processor, a DVD- and CD-burning SuperDrive, and the new Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar preloaded.

The dual 1 GHz processors put this fast Power Mac G4 squarely ahead of PCs forhigh-end graphics workstation use, running professional applications like Adobe Photoshop up to 69 percent faster than a 2.53 GHz Pentium 4-based PC. And it's not all about processor speed--new memory cache technology and other engineering improvements inspired by Apple's new Xserve server architecture boost the speed of throughput between main memory and the system controller.

Graphics performance is excellent, with ATI's hot new Radeon 9000 Pro graphics processor and Mac OS X Jaguar's new Quartz Extreme--a breakthrough combination of software and hardware that accelerates the compositing of 2- and 3-D images using your graphics card instead of the main processor. This gives the Power Mac G4 an order-of-magnitude advance in graphics capabilities--including color, lighting, modeling, transformations, texture mapping, motion blur, and more. In addition, the Power Mac lets you spread your work across two monitors for a larger workspace.

This Power Mac comes with a fast 80 GB Ultra-ATA hard disk drive and three additional 3.5-inch hard disk drive expansion bays--with support for a total of up to four internal hard drives, for up to 480 GB of possible storage.

Since the SuperDrive-equipped Power Mac comes with iDVD 2, you can burn data CDs and DVDs--with point-and-click ease--to archive your work minutes after you take your new system out of its box. It also accommodates a second optical drive in addition to the SuperDrive, so you can even watch a DVD movie while your work is burning to disc, or archive material at the same time.

You also get the benefit of built-in Gigabit Ethernet for shooting large files across your network at previously unheard-of speeds, the 108-key Apple Pro keyboard, a 56K modem, four USB ports and two high-speed FireWire ports for connecting all kinds of peripherals, and an AirPort card slot. Four PCI expansion slots are also integrated directly into the main system controller, speeding expansion cards' throughput. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fast. but really noisy
I've been a Mac fan since the PB 180, but had gone PC for a while. I came back to the Mac with this DP G4 and love it. It's fast and has all of the goodies. We made a DVD of my son's first year with iMovie and made a DVD our families love. You can't do that on a PC without a lof of expensive software and hardware. My only issue is the noise.

You might want to check this first :

My advice : Listen to a G4 first when you consider buying one; as it seems, not all of them are equally noisy.

Other than that, the new G4 series is great; real workhorses and OS X also is fantastic.

Not bad but not great
Apple has fallen behind the curve because Motorolla is falling apart. The guy who led the PowerPC development now works for Intel. IBM will step in soon to save the day and put Apple back on track (or so I pray), but what until then? Well this machine is okay, but before you buy you should know the good and bad. Apple like any company spews out a lot of marketing garbage and too many people take it at face value.

Go read this review on the slightly faster 1.25 DP machines coming out soon:
[URL]

These guys are some of the top CPU reviewers out there and they give Apple a fair run against Intel and AMD computers and let you know where Apple does well and where it does poorly.

Very Well Done
I'm also a Mac and PC user and also agree with the reviews below. The noise issue is the only reason I took off a star. Earlier models had a bad board that made the CPU fan run faster than it needed. In case you didn't know, the CPU fan changes speed to suit the cooling needs of the CPUs (a very nice Apple-ish touch). My CPU fan is very quite 98% of the time. The loudest noise comes from the power supply fans. There are replacement after-market fans available, but I don't think I'm going to need it. Yep - it's louder than my old G3, but not as loud as the new high-end Dells we have at work.

The box comes wired and ready for 4 hard drives and two optical drives. There were even some hard drive mounting screws in redundant holes just waiting for me to add my 120 gig WD. RAM is easy to add as well - buy a gig. I use 18004memory.com.

Comes with all the software you need. Made a DVD the same day I opened the box. Moving to OS X was a great opportunity for me to upgrade my other hardware and cut the cord on a lot of pre-1997 junk I had been clinging to. Dive into Aqua with both feet, the water's fine!

Transition time for OS, but great machine
I agree with everything "Anothermonkey" said in his review, but thought I should add a few notes.

First, it seems most reviewers on this board are either die-hard Mac fans or their equivalently unbalanced detractors on the anti-Mac front. I use both platforms, and find each to have its points.

Overall, this is a fantastic machine. The design is elegant from inside to outside, with every detail having been painstakingly thought through. It's as elegant as a computer could be, both in terms of hardware and software and their integration. It is also enormously powerful, although the fan inside could probably reach take-off velocity if given enough space. With the side panel closed and safely tucked under my desk, the noise is bearable, but don't try talking on the phone while powering up with the side opened -- you won't be able to hear a thing over the fan noise.

OS 10 is a stable, beautiful, and superfast system, integrated well with these new machines. However, shy of the main software on the design front, there are lots of things you might want to use (or already currently are) that are not OS 10 compatible. In the short term, be prepared for some pain as you figure out how to navigate through what you can and cannot use with OS 10 (including basic peripherals). Hopefully by early next year, this will have improved.

Also, this system is especially well-designed for international users. OS 10 can boot up in 20 languages, and the computer can be plugged in to nearly any voltage around the world. With several languages used at home, anyone can boot up in their desired language, and all (this really amazes me) the apple software that comes with the machine changes languages accordingly. Simple, clean, and elegant.

My old Powermac 7500 lasted nearly 8 years thanks to its advanced design and easy upgradability (it still beats my new PC at work). These new 1 GHz+ models seem destined for the same -- a great investment. If you're looking for a cheap machine to handle emailing and surfing, or if you need a wide variety of games etc., stick to the PC platform. But if you appreciate design and detail, you want serious power and a great machine that will hold its own in your office for many years, then seriously consider a new Powermac. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

As the most affordable products in the entire Apple roster of desktop computers, eMacs are not intended for sophisticated applications where power and versatility are paramount. They are, however, just fine for general day-to-day tasks such as word processing, personal finances, Internet surfing, email and light gaming/entertainment. They’re also small enough to fit comfortably on virtually any desk or table, no matter how cluttered it might be. This model, the Apple eMac Desktop 17-inch M8951LL/B, offers twice the RAM and twice the hard disk space of the entry-level eMac, and is also equipped with a DVD recorder.

Driven by a 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256 MB RAM (upgradeable to one full GB) and an ATI Radeon 7500 graphics chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory, the eMac Desktop 17-inch M8951LL/B sports satisfactory front-end speed and enough 3-D drawing power to handle midlevel games and 3-D rendering applications.

Like all eMacs, the eMac Desktop 17-inch M8951LL/B sports a unique and conveniently space-efficient one-piece design. Inside, Apple has incorporated a sizeable 80 GB hard disk (enough space for a typical allotment of data and a full library of multimedia files) and a DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive combo drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive information, watch your favorite DVD movies, and record home movies to DVD format. The system also incorporates a surprisingly generous 17-inch glass-tube CRT (not LCD) display and integrated stereo speakers.

Connectivity options include a 56K modem for dial-up communication, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet chipset for high-speed network and Internet interaction, an expansion slot for wireless networking, two FireWire 400 ports (commonly used for transferring data to and from digital camcorders), and five USB 1.1 ports for external devices such as joysticks and scanners. Potential customers should note that the unit is not equipped with new high-speed USB 2.0 ports. An Apple keyboard and Apple mouse complete the hardware picture.

Bundled software includes Mac OS X, World Book 2003, Quicken 2004 Deluxe, and an impressive range of multimedia utilities and games. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

If you're sick of PCs and Windows, look no further.
If you're like, then you're tired of Windows task bars, start menus, new viruses every month, security issues and those crappy embedded Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player!
Well then, you're welcome to join my group. The new Macs have just blew me away and Apple has surpassed itself once again.
This new SuperDrive eMac features enough power to let you get entertained for a long time. It's a bargain when you consider all the Apple brand technology revolving around this machine. It's compact, it's cute and it's powerful!
You can do just about anything with it, from watching and recording DVDs to creating your own music and videos!
Stop wasting your dough on "China" PC devices and get yourself a Mac from a brand you can trust in and always count on when it comes to cutting-edge technology and good looks!

Educational excellence
I purchased an eMac for my daughter several months ago -June, 2003,-before the latest model came out and the price dropped--which makes the eMac an even better value than before. It is an all-in-one machine that is simple to set up and install, with a fast G4 processor. It does need more RAM if you can afford it: at least 256, preferably 512 if you want to run Photoshop or some of the heavy duty graphics applications. For school use, it is plenty powerful enough, and many online stores offer free printers with your purchase as well as RAM upgrades for a minimal fee. OS X is very stable, and versatile, and rarely does a virus come along that bothers your machine. If you MUST have Windows, purchase Windows XP for Mac through Microsoft, and you can do just about anything with your eMac. Happy computing!

A great computer... Mac or Otherwise
Like many who have written reviews before me, I am a switcher. Acutally, that's not entirely accurate, as I was a long-time Mac user prior to 1997. My last two machines were PCs running Windows 95 and XP, respectively.

My PC actually worked resonably well for MS office, high-speed internet, and digital photography. It was weak on digital music and useless for digital video processing. The last straw was a few weeks ago when I tried to install a DVD RW drive. After that fiasco, I made good on my contiuning threat to switch to Mac.

Enter the Emac. First of all, I purchased the 1Ghz model with the Superdrive, as we're expecting our first child and I want to be able to author DVDs to share with the family. I upgraded the unit to 512MB RAM (Using one DIMM slot) from the 256MB standard. I also ordered the tilt/swivel stand based on other reviews I've read.

The first thing to say about the computer is it's big. Sure, it doesn't have an under-desk box to go with it, and cable issues are much improved over multi-component systems, but this is a big, heavy machine.

The screen, though a CRT, is simply stunning. Increadible resolution, and the Quartz graphics and text rendering make this easily the nicest computer screen I've ever worked on.

Right out of the box, the computer is ready for DSL or cable internet with it's built-in ethernet connection. A quick phone call to my DSL provider had me online in no time. Hooking up my Linksys wireless router (for my wife's PC notebook) was a breeze with the auto-configurer located in the System Preferences / Network section. It worked so well it was almost scary.

The real strength of the system is OX 10.3. This is a beautiful operating system. First of all, it is increadibly intuitive. Want a picture from the net? Just drag it onto the desktop. The little things are just so much easier and less cumbersome. The interface is gorgeous, like liquid mercury. Thanks to the powerful graphics processing, even things like minimizing windows and switching users is a joy to watch. The "Dock" at the bottom of the screen keeps your most used programs accessable, and it's translucency and animation are visually very pleasing.

The software Apple included with the Emac is wonderful. ILife includes Itunes, Iphoto, Imovie, IDVD, and Garage Band. Itunes is simply the best jukebox / audio organizer on the market, period. Importing my favorite CDs, converting to and from MP3, and purchasing new tunes from the Itunes store is a piece of cake. Streaming audio (online radio) is very easy to use, and a huge improvement over Windows / Real player. Burning CDs, and making playlists (and smart playlists) is no problem either. Iphoto allow very logical photo organization, cropping, and some effects (though for high-end effects, you will need Photoshop or Photoshop Elements). Ordering prints directly from apple (Kodak processing) is simple too.

My favorite of these programs, however, is Imovie / IDVD. I was able to take footage from my mini DV (via 4-6 pin firewire), and within 1 hour I had a nice video of my dog playing (remember, I'm practicing for the arrival of child #1), complete with dual channel audio overlay (our voices and the dog along with imported audio, appropriately mixed). Video transitions, fades, splicing, cutting were all intuitive and quickly learned. Setting up a DVD with menus, graphics on the title screen, and fully functional on my home DVD player took just minutes. I can't wait to WOW my friends and family with professional quality family and vacation videos. It simply amazes me that this computer can do this so well right out of the box, without the extremely costly video editing software and hardware that projects like this used to require.

A program not often discussed, but very impressive is Sherlock, also preloaded on the machine. It basically works like Yahoo, with channels such as yellow pages, E-Bay, Translator, Movies, and others. The phone book feature is especially handy. Just type in what you're looking for and the number appears, along with driving distances, an excellent (and acurate) map, and driving directions. The movie channel automatically displays theatres near your house, movies playing, times, and (quickly) downloads previews.

Apple now has a new web browser, Safari, which also ships with the Emac. It is also very nice to use, and offers some important new features including tabbed browsing, an excellent menu / favorites bar, and an excellent downloading system for files, programs, and other info. It does have some quirks (ie difficulty downloading attachments from Hotmail), but all in all it offers a much nicer environment than Netscape or IE (in my opinion). The Emac also ships with IE, so if one prefers they can browse with it instead.

Ironically, MS Office for Mac OS X (purchased separately) works even better than Office XP in my opinion. The interface is so much nicer, and it's functionallity is superb. One drawback is no MS Access for Mac (though rumors abound that it will be available this year).

The only negatives I have are: 1. Poor written OS instructions. Though intuitive, OS X is a big change from Windows, and some instruction is often needed. A "getting started" guide is included, and Apple.com has wonderful on-line support and Q&A sections, but a real OS book is nice. I purchased "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Panther Edition", and have been very happy with it. 2. Internal speakers. These are actually pretty nice sounding for the size, and having them built in is compact and convenient. However, I love listening to music on the computer, and I'm happier with powered external speakers (either USB or through the headphone jack).

I had very high hopes for this computer, and it has more than exceeded my desires. This is a great computer for anyone looking to be able to handle digital audio and video in a stable environment, and the cost makes this a very accessable machine for many more people than Apple's other products.

If you are looking into getting one, order the swivel stand, and consider upgrading the RAM to 512MB from the factory (you don't use up the 2nd precious DIMM slot that way). If authoring DVDs is important to you, make sure to get the Super Drive model.

Don't buy this
1 GHz[.] ATI 7500 graphics[.] This system is 2-3 years out of date. If you are on a budget buy a P4 based system. If you have the money buy a nice G5 based system with 512M of RAM. This computer is something you would buy for a 5 year old.

The eMac is a winner!
First of all I'm a switcher. I came over to the Mac side with the purchase of this 1Ghz Emac with superdrive. I have since sold my windows PC and am forever a Mac-Head now. The first thing to know about this machine is that there is SOME fan noise but it certainly isn't a major issue. It's just a light drone not unlike what a fridge may sound like. If the noise is that big of a concern, I would get an iMac with a flat panel display. I heard those things are silent.

The Emac now ships with Mac OS 10.3 "Panther". It's a powerful operating system that remains easy to use and unobtrusive. I wont go into too much on Panther in this review because I want to concentrate on the iApps!

By far the most impressive thing about this and any other Mac is the "out of the box" experience. When you set it up there's so much you can do with it without buying ANY additional software. Right out of the box you can edit a movie and burn a DVD with truly stunning results, you can organize all your MP3's with iTunes, iPhoto handles all your digital images and the best part is they all work seamlessly together. For example you can arrange a slide show in iPhoto and have iTunes play an MP3 for the background without even opening iTunes. If you own an iPod it will sync up with iTunes flawlessly. This kind of cross collaboration between programs and hardware is evident everywhere on this machine.

One area I wish could be improved is that MSN Messenger for the Mac is about 2 years behind its PC counterpart in terms of features. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with this computer. That is totally Microsoft's responsibility. On the PC end MSN Messenger has voice and video but the Mac version is just text. For great audio and video communication the Mac includes iChat AV which works with AOL's AIM to provide cross platform A/V chat . Too bad everyone I know uses MSN Messenger.

The system sound is ok but you'll probably want to add powered speakers to it and you'll be much happier with the richness of the sound. Overall I have to say I love this computer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With dual 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, improved system bandwidth with a 167 MHz system bus, a new-generation graphics processor, a DVD- and CD-burning SuperDrive, and the new Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar preloaded, the fastest PowerMac ever combines screaming speed with ferocious graphics power.

The dual processors put this fearsomely fast Power Mac G4 squarely in the lead as the ultimate high-end graphics workstation, running professional applications like Adobe Photoshop up to 90 percent faster than a 2.53 GHz Pentium 4-based PC. And it's not all about processor speed--new memory cache technology and other engineering improvements lifted from Apple's new Xserve server architecture boost the speed of throughput between main memory and the system controller to more than double the throughput of the previous dual 1 GHz Power Mac G4.

Graphics performance is off the charts, with ATI's hot new Radeon 9000 Pro graphics processor and Mac OS X Jaguar's new Quartz Extreme--a breakthrough combination of software and hardware that accelerates the compositing of 2- and 3-D images using your graphics card instead of the main processor. This gives the Power Mac G4 an order-of-magnitude advance in graphics capabilities--including color, lighting, modeling, transformations, texture mapping, motion blur, and more. In addition, the Power Mac lets you spread your work across two monitors for a larger workspace.

This Power Mac comes with a huge fast 120 GB Ultra-ATA hard disk drive and three additional 3.5-inch hard disk drive expansion bays--with support for a total of up to four internal hard drives, for up to 480 GB of storage.

Since the SuperDrive-equipped Power Mac comes with iDVD 2, you can burn data CDs and DVDs--with point-and-click ease--to archive your work minutes after you take your new system out of its box. It also accommodates a second optical drive in addition to the SuperDrive, so you can even watch a DVD movie while your work is burning to disc, or archive material at the same time.

You also get the benefit of built-in Gigabit Ethernet for shooting large files across your network at previously unheard-of speeds, the 108-key Apple Pro keyboard, a 56K modem, four USB ports and two high-speed FireWire ports for connecting all kinds of peripherals, and an AirPort card slot. Four PCI expansion slots are also integrated directly into the main system controller, speeding expansion cards' throughput. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

why even read a review? i can only rave about my G4!!
after owning a powerbook for three years, and using many iMacs at work the G4 has been a revellation for speed and reliability. it never crashes and has only frozen on me a handful of times over the year. i can multi-task like crazy, opening 700 MB of images in photoshop and doing other projects while i wait for them to open. the time saved in allowing me to complete many tasks at once is incredible. i am no longer impatient when working, because of the numerous tasks the G4 can perform at once.
the G4 is also very flexible, since i bought mine a little over one year ago i have added a VGA card (in order to have an 'extended desktop') and a second hardrive.

it's an awesome tool!!

A powerful machine worth the price
I just received this computer today. Within minutes, I had it set up and running and surfing the web. Thus far, it is definetly a very quiet computer. Its got a lot of power to it and comes loaded with OS X with all the great multimedia apps like iTunes, iDVD, etc. They have all opened and worked quickly and flawlessly. Overall, I would have to say it is very very fast. The computer has also never frozen, slowed up, or had any problem completing the tasks i've given it thus far and shows no signs of doing so in the future. I highly recommend getting Apple Pro speakers with it, as they enhance the sound quality drastically (the sound quality of that singal built in speaker just will not due for me, the only con i have found so far). This is a great machine that I will be using every day and I believe that it is worth every penny spent on it. Apple has done it again! ... Read more