First look: Apple eMac 1 ghz. w/Panther OS
Written: Jan 21 '04
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Pros: Speed, ease-of-use, graphics, software and overall value and cool mouse.
Cons: Noisy, lack of back-up manuals, World Book very temperamental, long waits for phone assistance.
The Bottom Line: The eMac is an industrial-strength computer that sums up all Apple has learned over the past several decades. Fast, clever, and an excellent value for the money.
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| jenabo's Full Review: Apple eMac 17 in. (M8892LL/A) Mac Desktop |
Balancing cost versus features, I bought an eMac with Combo drive, but upgraded to 512 megs of RAM and an 80 gig hard drive.
Adding the tilt-n-swivel stand (works great - perfect height) and Epson all-in-one printer brought the butcher's bill to $1200 with an education discount direct from Apple.
It is a very fast machine, loaded with software that would have added hundreds to a Dell PC. Yes, I'm a 'switcher' as my old Gateway began to bite the dust.
Set-up was easy, no color-coded cables to figure out. The printer connected fast with no hassle.
Big screen is sharp at .25 pixels; Panther OS takes some time to master, but do-able. Lack of manuals continues to plague Apple - included 'help' topics are truly thin - I recommend the "Missing Manual" series, though even they failed to tell me how to activate the 'auto-save' feature in Appleworks. Have to buy a separate manual for that app.
iTunes and iPhoto terrific, but don't load CD's into iTunes until connected to the net.
Tony Hawk 4 beyond my grasp so far, but Deimos Rising great fun, a perfect way to take a breather from writing my novel.
Frankly, I like the industrial-strength look of the eMac on my desk; it's heavy but I think, having been designed for schools, it'll hold up over the years.
Did I mention this computer is fast? CPU speed isn't the key factor - memory is!
Zinio reader is a silly app; can't read magazines sitting on the john but the included Macworld issue was a nice touch and graphic design very clever.
Would I buy again? Absolutely, though I'm convinced this will be my last computer (I turn 58 in a few days.)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1200
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
jenabo
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