eMac

[sbur]

I'm posting this here because it's more of a solicitation of opinions than anything else.

What do people think about the eMac that Apple announce for education?

On one hand, I like the idea that they are gunning hard for the education market, but other companies like dell still sell pretty decent (for schools, at least) machines for $600.

Do you think they are going to make any profits off of the eMac, or is it an investment that will pay off in future sales of iMacs, iBooks, and desktops?

In a related note, I noticed that the University of Texas just started requiring some of the students in the teaching program to buy iBooks. The bundle that apple is providing (below cost, supposedly) is pretty good. The school required engineers to have a wintel laptop while I was there (with Dell being the major supplier, of course), so it doesn't seem like the school itself is playing favorites. Do you think we'll see more of these kinds of deals in the near future?

[tncook]

as a higher ed lab tech person, i think the eMac rocks!!!

We have been looking at getting new machines to replace our ageing 266 and 333Mhz iMacs. We are also looking at using OSX in the labs (which is my project for this spring). The 15" screen on the older iMacs really aren't sufficent for most people. Many people use the PeeCee's or the B/W G3's because of the larger screens, so having a 17"CRT is awesome.

I think that the $999 model is an awesome deal. It is something that the education market has been wanting for a long time. It has a plain old CD-ROM and no modem, something that a general computer lab really dosen't need.

The eMac is a great alternative to the new FP iMacs. There has been a lot of concern about the durability of the arm and the LCD. Lab machines get beat up, and a CRT is really the best option. The price is also the killer. The ed market really aims for that sub-$1000 price and to be able to get a 700Mhz G4 and a 17" monitor at that price is irreistable.

the other two models that have a combo drive i really don't see a niche for.

Bottom Line:
I would buy an iMac for myself or faculity/staff, but an eMac for a computer lab. But then thats what Apple is going for.

[AKcrab]

It's great to hear someone actually in the education industry saying they like the eMac! My own uninformed guess would have been "too expensive", but maybe not. After all, it is a G4 700 with 17" monitor, as you pointed out. I think it looks a bit odd, but different is good.

I hope they sell a few million of them!!

[bahamutX]

my mum who works in Apple says that the emac is only sold to the edcuation industry not to public consumers... how sad

[dschep]

Might get one since my dad is a college proffesor

to me it is a great price for a G4 And it definitly is better than a 15" 500MHz iMac , and it isn't a desk lamp