It's
the runt of the litter, and yet somehow it's also the largest
of the pack. It's not the one you dream of, it's the
one you settle for. Its looks are non-distinctive, other than
the fact that it looks like it once served as the nose cone
of a space shuttle. Yet it also manages to meet the needs of
about ninety percent of all consumers, at a price that fits
within ninety percent of those budgets. And yet, the list of
imaginary reasons for not buying one is even longer than the
typical Macintosh computer. I'm talking, of course, about the
eMac. And today, I'm going to shatter some of those misperceptions,
factual inaccuracies, and bizarre myths about the product:
Myth
#1: The eMac isn't fast enough.
Reality: The eMac uses the same PowerPC G4 microprocessor as Apple's
iMac, iBook, and PowerBook lines. If you're in the market for
a new computer, then it's a given that the eMac is significantly
faster than whatever you're using right now.
Myth
#2: The eMac isn't expandable.
Reality: The
eMac holds up to 1024 MB of RAM memory (four times what it
ships with), which is both the only internal hardware upgrade
that a consumer is likely to make, and the only one that makes
financial sense. Adding RAM memory is what allows you to take
advantage of the more demanding software that will be invented
in the future. In addition, the eMac has internal expansion
slots that will allow you to easily connect wirelessly to
the Internet (AirPort) as well as wireless peripherals
(Bluetooth).
Myth
#3: The eMac isn't connectable.
Reality: The
eMac comes with a fully array of connection ports, including
FireWire (digital camcorders, iPods, portable hard drives),
USB and USB 2.0 (printers, scanners, mice, keyboards, digital
cameras, etc.), ethernet (cable modem, DSL, local network),
56k modem (dial-up internet), audio-out (headphones, external speaker
systems), and audio-in (microphones, recording devices). And
these are the same kinds of ports as you'll find on a Windows
PC, meaning that the majority of peripherals on the market
will work with your eMac. What's more, the eMac even comes
with a built-in mini-VGA port designed to allow you to connect
it to a projector or television set, if the need arises.
Myth
#4: The
eMac doesn't have a good enough monitor.
Reality: While
the eMac doesn't come with a flat-screen LCD monitor, its built-in
display is one of the highest-quality 17 inch CRT monitors
on the market. In fact, the monitor allows you to change among
five different resolutions on the fly (making on-screen items
larger or smaller as necessary). It's also what they call a
"flat CRT," meaning that unlike with most picture-tube monitors,
the glass on this one doesn't bulge in the middle. If you want
an LCD screen, go with the more expensive iMac. But if your
budget forces you to go with a CRT monitor, the eMac's is definitely
the one to go with. Oh, and seventeen inches is more than
enough to run any and all consumer-level applications. Anyone
who tries to convince you otherwise is likely some kind of
graphic design professional who has obviously lost sight with
what non-professionals really need.
Myth
#5: The
eMac is unreliable.
Reality: This bizarre rumor likely got its start when the first batch of
eMacs shipped and a small number of them just happened to contain
video ribbon cables that were defective from the factory. It
was pure bad luck that Apple happened to end up receiving the
bad batch from the supplier; it could easily have ended up
in the hands of any other vendor. The problem was corrected
quickly, and never resurfaced. Although there are currently
no known issues with the eMac, the word "unreliable" has been
uninformedly and irresponsibly tossed around to describe the
eMac in various chat rooms and discussion boards. Such nonsense
is completely without merit.
Myth
#6: The
eMac is too large because it has too much packed into it.
Reality: The
eMac is as small as a computer with a 17 inch CRT monitor could
possibly be. Unlike Windows PC manufacturers who think it's
important to waste your desk space or give you a giant floor
ornament by placing the computer's components in an almost
completely empty minitower (for the sole purpose of trying
to make you think you're buying more computer than you really
are), Apple's innovative engineers have managed to take all
of the computer's components and build them right in to the
monitor housing itself. And yet the eMac, with all of those
components stored neatly beneath the monitor, doesn't take
up and more room than any other 17 inch CRT monitor, meaning
that the extra desk space (or floor space) is yours to do with
as you please. And educators, don't fear the eMac just because
it's got a larger monitor than the old original 15 inch iMac.
Believe it or not, the eMac isn't any larger. No, I don't know
how they do it, either.
Myth
#7: The
eMac is too expensive.
Reality: With
its $799 starting price, the eMac is in fact no more expensive
(and in some cases cheaper) than other name brand computers.
"But what about those advertisements for $499 computers," you
say. Try this: go to the websites of any of those companies,
select that supposed "$499" computer, and begin adding on all
the basic amenities that are missing from it (such as a CD
burner, an ethernet port, FireWire, legitimate graphics card),
and you'll soon find out what the real price of these
supposed bargain-basement computers really is. The $799 eMac,
on the other hand, comes with every one of those "options"
built-in...with the lone exception of a DVD burner which isn't
for everyone. But that's why there's a $999 eMac that comes
with a DVD burner built-in.
Myth
#8: The
eMac doesn't come with enough software.
Reality: This
misconception probably arises out of the fact that the eMac
is Apple's least-expensive computer. But there's no skimping
here whatsoever. In fact, take a gander as this list (they
all come bundled for free): AppleWorks 6, Safari, Internet
Explorer, Sherlock, iPhoto 4, iMovie 4, iTunes, GarageBand,
iChat AV, SoundStudio, iCal, iSync, Quicken 2004, World Book
Encyclopedia, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, Deimos Rising, Chess,
and QuickTime Player. And believe it or not, that's not even
the full list. You will not find a Windows PC from any company
that comes with nearly as much built-in software as does the
eMac.
Myth
#9: The
eMac won't allow you to use a two-button (four-button, nine-button,
etc.) mouse.
Reality:
The
reason that the eMac (as well as every other Mac) comes with
a one-button mouse is that the Macintosh interface has been
designed so well that you almost never find yourself needing to
right-click. The eMac's optical mouse takes advantage of
this fact by making the entire mouse the button, making for
a sublime mousing experience. However, for those users who
do prefer a two-button mouse, or a mouse with a scroll wheel,
that's not a problem. You can buy literally any mouse with
a USB port (whether it's labeled for Mac usage or not), plug
it into your eMac, and immediately begin using it without
even needing to install any drivers or software. You can
find a variety of two-button scroll wheel mice in any store
for as little as $15. But the odds are pretty strong that
once you get used to the way the Mac interface works, you'll
find you don't need it.
Myth
#10: There
must be something wrong with the eMac because Bill Palmer
decided not to buy one at the last minute.
Reality: Despite
the rather bizarre number of emails I've received who think
that there must be some devious reason behind my decision not
to buy an eMac, my reasoning was simple: I decided that I
needed the portability of a laptop, so I bought a used PowerBook.
That's all there is to it. If I had decided to go with a non-laptop
system, it would have been an eMac, without question.
Bottom
line: Would
it be nice to have an LCD flat screen (iMac),
a ridiculously fast microprocessor (PowerMac
G5), or true portability (laptop)? Sure. But for most consumers,
these are desires, not necessities. If there isn't room
for such desires in your budget, then the eMac is one heck
of a consolation prize.
Agree
with the contents of this article? Then pass it along to your
budget-conscious Mac-using friend who wants to buy a new
Mac but is shying away from the eMac due to any of the myths
surrounding it. Or to your PC-using friend who wants to Switch
to the Mac but so far hasn't done so because he or she mistakenly
thinks that there aren't any "real" Macs available for less
than a thousand dollars. Or to your local school's tech specialist
who insists on buying PC's because he or she claims that Macs
are too expensive.
