Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple eMac Desktop 17" M9252LL/A (1.0-GHz PowerPC G4, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

You'll notice that "Eric Shamilov" gives no data to back up his statement that Macs are "proven" to crash more than PCs. That is because that data simply does not exist, the facts are to the contrary. Check out Consumer Reports web site, their tests revealed that Macs crash less than PCs. As a Mac and PC Tech, I can tell you that a Mac (G4 or G5) running OS X (especially 10.3 or later) is more stable than a Windows PC running XP. This is because OS X is UNIX at its core. It is also because since Apple makes both the hardware and the software, the incompatibilities that run rampant in the PC world (I know, because I am constantly being called out to fix them) simply don't exist on the Mac platform. Also for those of you afraid of, or sick of Viruses... Up to this day, there has not been a single virus reported for the Mac OS X operating system. I own a 1GHz eMac and if you load it up with at least 512 Megs of RAM or more, these babies fly! In my 6 months of owning it and using it constantly for audio and video editing, I have not had a single crash. That's right, not one! Oh, and if you would ever need to do so, you can much more easily back up your data and reformat your Mac than you can on a PC, contrary to what Mr. Shamilov espouses. Try wiping your PCs drive clean and then booting from a Windows CD some time, the results can range from tricky to virtually impossible, depending on the computer. On a Mac, you can wipe the drive clean, hold down the "C" key, boot from any Mac OS Disc and reinstall the OS. Bottom line, if you are a current Mac user or a Windows user wanting to switch, this is a great entry level G4 computer that has far more capabilities than the entry level computers in the PC world. But if you can afford it, swing for a PowerMac G5.

After coming into a tidy amount of money, I decided that it was time to make the switch. Coming over from a Pentium II 233, that switch was quite a relief. The price of the eMac was what attracted me to it, and i didn't share some people's opinions that it was 'ugly' (especially given that i was used to a beige, yellowing windows tower).

Setup
I put out the order to Apple UK (I'm a Brit, folks) it took around two weeks to arrive. When it came, it arrived at my campus post room and i'm very glad that i had help in carrying it back to my room as it came in a huge box and was very heavy and bulky - a point to note if it's not going to arrive straight to your door. It came very well packaged with a nice new Mac smell to it, everything in its own cosy polystyrene compartment. Again, beacause of the weight, i would suggest getting a friend to help you set things up.
One thing i did notice, unpacking, was the lack of manuals (a very thin OSX manual and ditto the eMac manual, proper). Ignoring the manuals i set it up, heaving the monitor section onto my desk (it is heavy, but very comfortable / ergonomic to lift). Setup is very easy! Glancing at the manual, i was left with a setup that left very few wires dangling around the back. Because of this, i was able to free up a whole 4 - way multi-plug adapter that i had used to plug in my pc's speakers, monitor etc. It is also very usefully has all the USB, Firewire, connectors located at the side.
Once setup, installing the OS X was also very easy, and after filling in my name, basic preferences etc, the system was up and running. This was also when i enjoyed the CD drive - a button on the keyboard ejects and closes the CD draw, and it does so in a very satisfying motion.

Mouse & Keyboard
The keyboard has a great, light and springy action to it, even better than the Microsoft Office keyboard i had been using. The keyboard itself is remarkably compact and makes for a setup that is ideal for users with limited desk space. The mouse plugged into the keyboard is also impressive. The one button, clear plastic mouse is easy and comfortable to use, and you get used to not having a right=click button. However, it must be said that the surface of the mouse is a hot-spot for picking up grime, so you need to wipe it every now and again. The underneath of the mouse picks up grime too, and although it is an optical mouse (wheel-free) it can get a bit scratchy, when it glides across a smooth surface when it is grimy. If you're coming over from a PC, it may take you time to get used to the fact that the mouse only has one button and no scroll-wheel, but you could also buy a new mouse if you didn't get used to it. The keyboard, as well as controlling the cd drive, also controls volume, which is very handy.

Monitor
The 17" monitor is a true flat screen and provides as good an image as i have seen on any monitor. I have it set at 1152 x 864, which provides a nice screen size at a very comfortable 80-mhz refresh rate. The whole -monitor / computer section of the eMac , despite being 17" takes up very little space on a desktop, more like having a 15" monitor or something similar. I have not seen any reason the get the (overpriced) swivel and tilt stand that you may have seen, as on a normal desk, the setup of the monitor is fine at the level that it is at.

Speakers
This is perhaps the downside of the package. Whilst they are clear in terms of sound quality (though a little shy on bass) they do cause problems at high volumes. Certain MP3s cause the sound to distort, and when it does so, the screen gives off slight ripples (only slight) though these are not terrible noticeable and it only affects the area above the speakers (darker colours emphasize the effect). I am not going to get new speakers, happy with playing mp3s at a medium volume (more than enough), but if you plan on using the emac as your default music player, consider new speakers.

Performance
The 1ghz G4 is of ample speed. It sound low, but seems to run quicker than Pentium chips in the 2ghz range. OSX never slows down, even after playing demanding games (you would often have to restart your computer after playing games in Windows). I upgraded the 128mb of Ram (painfully low) to 640mb, as whilst the actual operating system ran ok with the stock memory, running multiple applications would slow it down (though it is surprising that OSX runs with so little RAM). With the extra RAM, the computer flies, and i have never experienced slowdown (though i only use the web, word processing and games) The graphics card (a 32mb ATI card) is ok with most games (Age of Mythology works very well) but newer games (Unreal Tournament 2004) don't really work , but we are talking about games that have barely been released. I was satisfied with this, as I don't play many games, but this is not a gamer's machine. Not being able to upgrade the graphics card may cause some concerns.

Software

I'm not going to go into this in too much detail, as this is a review of the hardware. What i will say is that, as a switcher, OSX is excellent. As well as being great looking, the layout of folders and processes such as uninstalling programs are so much better thought out on the Mac. All Macs come with all the software most users would want, offering great mail / internet / media programs as standard. The word processor is the only thing that annoys me. Appleworks is not in Microsoft Office's league, but is fine for most users. One thing i will say, however, is that the viewing size of the text is often too small, and the program fits awkwardly onto the desktop. It can do footnotes, justified text etc, so it is fine for essays, though. Using OSX is a pleasure, where as using windows always seemed like a chore. Put simply, the Mac makes computing seems friendly and easy to use, which it is.

A recent user survey in PC magazine identified Apple computers as the most reliable and easiest to use computers currently available. Yes, most people use Windows-based PCs, but do you want to be another member of the PC herd -- with all of the problems and frustrations presented by Windows-based PCs -- or are you looking for a computer which is user friendly and seldom crashes? If ease of use and reliability are more important to you than being one of the crowd, please seriously consider buying an Apple. Since the eMac is Apple's least expensive computer, it's a terrific way to enter the user friendly world of Apple computers at a very reasonable price. And don't be concerned about the 1 GHz processor speed, this is a very fast computer -- the G4 processors used by Apple are equivalent to Pentium processors twice their nominal speed. If you're looking for an easy to use computer and are willing to try something off the beaten path, you'll love this computer.

If price is a consideration in acquiring a new or additional Mac, the eMac should be a no-brainer. I have a new iMac with Superdrive and a Powerbook, but the eMac is my workhorse, as efficient and effective as its siblings and even more enjoyable to operate. And when I consider that my first iMac five years ago went for twice the price of this machine, the eMac becomes an even more compelling choice.

The screen has sharpness, depth, and consistent color contrast, whereas the flat-panels require constant small adjustments to stay in focus with the user's sightline. The machine has a small footprint, occupying no more desk space than the original iMac it replaced. I've never required burning a DVD, so I'm happy to forego that feature for a cost savings. Finally, at these prices you can forget about purchasing the extended warranty, especially given Apple's solid dependability. Instead, invest a few extra bucks in some more RAM.

The eMac, by Apple,is astonishing!!! I love the screen resoution and is alot better than the regular desktop. The hardrive is actually in the monitor, which makes it a space saving machine! The superdirve(More expensive) is what I use. The amazing flat screen, makes it easy to veiw DVD and listen to CDs. iTunes and iLife are absolutly amazing. This group of thing makes the eMac a great computer of the future.