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Apple Computer this week updated its consumer-level all-in-one eMac computer. The new eMac sports a faster processor (a 1.25-GHz PowerPC G4), faster memory (333-MHz DDR RAM), faster ATI Radeon graphics (the Radeon 9200 graphics chip), and USB 2.0 connectivity. The motherboard speed has been increased as well, from 133 MHz to 167 MHz. Optional is an internal Bluetooth module.
"The integrated graphics that you see on the PCs really pale in comparison to what we provide with the Radeon 9200 and dedicated video memory," Greg Joswiak, Apple's Vice President of Hardware Product Marketing says.
Also updated is the eMac's price scheme. The entry-level model still sports a CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive for $799, but the SuperDrive-equipped higher-end model has a lower price--$999. Apple has also introduced a new configuration without an optical drive for educational customers.
The two previous configurations of the eMac sold for $799 and $1099. The low-end model came equipped with a 1-GHz PowerPC G4, 128MB SDRAM, a 40GB Ultra ATA drive, and a Combo drive.
The $1099 high-end eMac model had a 1-GHz PowerPC G4, 256MB SDRAM, an 80GB Ultra ATA drive, and a SuperDrive.
Both systems came equipped with ATI Radeon 7500 graphics, SDRAM, and USB 1.1 peripheral interfaces.
History Lesson
The eMac, which was first introduced two-years ago this month, was targeted and for sale only to Apple's education customers. Priced at $999 at introduction, Apple was soon under pressure from consumers to release a version of the inexpensive all-in-one computer for them. Just over a month later, Apple released the eMac for everyone.
With the eMac available for education and consumers, there was only one thing missing from the machine: a DVD-R/RW SuperDrive. Anxious consumers turned to third-party companies to install SuperDrives for them, even though it voided the warranty. One company, Zettabyte Solutions, offered a SuperDrive equipped Mac and said the response was overwhelming.
Two months later, Apple released its first SuperDrive-equipped eMac.
"One of the things we designed the eMac to be is compact and durable for places that kids are, whether it's in the home or in school," says Joswiak. "Education has always been the primary customer for the eMac and it does very well in that market. It's the computer for the most value-minded Mac customer."
