Apple eMac 17 in. (M8950LL/A) Mac Desktop
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- Form Factor: All-in-one
- Operating System: Apple MacOS X 10.2
- HDD Size: 60 GB
- Installed Memory: 128 MB (SDRAM)
- Display: 17 in.
- Processor: PowerPC G4 1 GHz
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Great for the kids
Pros
Can still handle most of iLife '08, 10.4, etc.
Cons
Radeon 7500, USB1.1, Ram prices increasing.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a general usage Macintosh, this is a great way to go. Inexpensive, and runs most of the latest software.
I've been working with this model of eMac for almost 4 years now, and am constantly amazed at what you can (still) do with it. Along the way I've made a few upgrades which have kept it usable even with 10.4 and iLife '08.
The machine itself is a tank, with a thick polycarbonate case that still looks sleek sitting on my desk. While not as elegant as the iMac, it's still a step above the design of most desktop machines available on the market.
Anyway, as for day to day usability, this machine still manages to handle my iPhoto library (now around 12,000 items, mostly pictures, ~3-4 mega pixel range), iMovie (though it's stuck at version 6, as version 8 requires a 1.9 G5), iDVD, GarageBand, etc. I occasionally use it with Numbers and Pages as well. It's certainly not a speed demon, but it handles all of these applications just fine.
Along the way, the ram has been upgraded (a must if you want any sort of speed from the iLife applications), the internal drive has been replaced, and the optical drive has been upgraded. If you're planning on replacing either the hard drive or optical drive, spend the little bit of extra money to do them both at once, as the upgrade procedure takes plenty of time and care - it's not a quick and easy case to open and upgrade. That said, with the cost of DVD burners and hard drives these days, there's no reason to *not* upgrade both (my 160 gig hard drive cost only $40 well over a year ago, and the 16x DL DVD burner was only $28). Using PatchBurn (not required with 10.5, from what I understand), I have native DVD burning from any application that would otherwise support only an Apple DVD burner.
The reason I wanted to take the time to write this review, however, is this machine never ceases to amaze me with its usability. There are certainly times that I would come close to killing for a new iMac (and the speed of the recent Intel processors), but in reality, this little 1ghz G4 just keeps chugging along, and handles a good deal of my daily activities without complaint. If you're looking for a solid machine for piddling around on the internet, checking email, or things of the like (or even managing your photo library...), this machine is still a viable option, and usually pretty cheap to boot. Don't overlook it as an option because it's not as flashy (or 4 years old...). Just don't expect 3d graphics to fly by either (Radeon 7500, 32meg).
Of course, if you're already looking to purchase an older machine, you might consider spending a little more money up front for the 1.42 eMac - it's a considerable speed bump with a better graphics processor, and USB2.0.
The machine itself is a tank, with a thick polycarbonate case that still looks sleek sitting on my desk. While not as elegant as the iMac, it's still a step above the design of most desktop machines available on the market.
Anyway, as for day to day usability, this machine still manages to handle my iPhoto library (now around 12,000 items, mostly pictures, ~3-4 mega pixel range), iMovie (though it's stuck at version 6, as version 8 requires a 1.9 G5), iDVD, GarageBand, etc. I occasionally use it with Numbers and Pages as well. It's certainly not a speed demon, but it handles all of these applications just fine.
Along the way, the ram has been upgraded (a must if you want any sort of speed from the iLife applications), the internal drive has been replaced, and the optical drive has been upgraded. If you're planning on replacing either the hard drive or optical drive, spend the little bit of extra money to do them both at once, as the upgrade procedure takes plenty of time and care - it's not a quick and easy case to open and upgrade. That said, with the cost of DVD burners and hard drives these days, there's no reason to *not* upgrade both (my 160 gig hard drive cost only $40 well over a year ago, and the 16x DL DVD burner was only $28). Using PatchBurn (not required with 10.5, from what I understand), I have native DVD burning from any application that would otherwise support only an Apple DVD burner.
The reason I wanted to take the time to write this review, however, is this machine never ceases to amaze me with its usability. There are certainly times that I would come close to killing for a new iMac (and the speed of the recent Intel processors), but in reality, this little 1ghz G4 just keeps chugging along, and handles a good deal of my daily activities without complaint. If you're looking for a solid machine for piddling around on the internet, checking email, or things of the like (or even managing your photo library...), this machine is still a viable option, and usually pretty cheap to boot. Don't overlook it as an option because it's not as flashy (or 4 years old...). Just don't expect 3d graphics to fly by either (Radeon 7500, 32meg).
Of course, if you're already looking to purchase an older machine, you might consider spending a little more money up front for the 1.42 eMac - it's a considerable speed bump with a better graphics processor, and USB2.0.
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