Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple eMac Desktop M8577LL/A (700-MHz PowerPC G4, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive)

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.

I have been a Mac user since the eighties, and an Apple IIe / IIc user prior, and I can easily state that this is the best Mac i have ever purchased. (I own approximately 20 between home and business.) All Macs are known for their ease of use and set-up, but the eMac is an absolute dream. A child could set it up (or even your parents!). The screen is huge, crisp, and colorful. The speakers are awesome. I bumped up my RAM prior to ever starting it, so i can't speak for how good OSX functions "out-of-the-box", but for me it is incredible. I can't recommend this computer highly enough. It seems crash-proof too.

Purchased the eMac several weeks ago for use with my spouse's consulting business--I have and still currently use an upgraded PowerMac 7500/100. While the 7500 is/was a great computer it can't match the power/speed/video of the new eMac. I was impressed with this computer right out of the box--it's modern shape/size/color is very pleasing to the eye. It's a bit on the heavy side, but it's small footprint allows it to take up no more space than the 15 inch NEC monitor I use with my 7500. The computer is quick to start and the display is bright and clear--and the graphics appear excellent. The computer was a breeze to set up and though I have never used Mac OSX before it's a great, elegant, and stable operating system. My only complaint is that my version of MS office will not work with OSX and I have to wait while the computer converts to OX 9--the computer does come with Appleworks (which is OS X native) however, and though I've never used it either, I may covert to it and away from Office. The iTools software makes burning cds fast and easy,and we may never go back to Toast. All in all I think this is great computer for the money.

I just bought my first i/eMac and I'm really pleased.The new G4 processor lets the new OS run smoothly. I love the CDRW,although I urge Apple to offer a Combo(CDRW/DVD-ROM) drive to be included.The display offers 40% more viewing area,and iTunes,iPhoto,and iMovie worked completely stable.But,I bought an AirPort with mine(Base Station,Card) and I had trouble installing it. But other than that,I recommend this new eMac.

E---For Everyone!!

Since the introduction of the original iMac, Mac lovers (and Mac owners do indeed LOVE their Macs) have wished for a compact Mac with a 17" monitor instead of the 15" monitor used on iMacs. Now there is such a Mac, but it's called an eMac and it's terrific. However, if you feel that you must have what virtually all your friends have, don't buy this computer; it takes courage to go against the crowd. But if you've got the courage to go against the crowd and want a better computer that is easy to learn and use and will out-perform and out-last your friends' PCs get this eMac -- or any other Mac for that matter. It's true: MACS ARE BETTER THAN PCs. They're easier to learn, easier to use, and far more reliable than PCs. Yes, Macs cost a little more initially (after all Toyotas and Hondas cost more than Kias) but studies show that PCs can quickly lose their initial savings in maintenance and repair costs. And don't worry about the alleged shortage of Mac software; all of the major pieces of software are available in Mac versions -- which are easier to use than the PC versions. Also, don't be confused by processor speeds; because of its superior design, the Mac's G4 processor works twice as hard as a typical Intel processor and therefore Macs are typically faster than PCs with twice the quoted processor speed. If you've got the courage to buck the crowd and go for quality and performance rather than "what almost everyone else has," do yourself a favor and get a Mac. There's no better choice for price, speed, and monitor size than this eMac.