Entered CNET Catalog: 05/20/2003
SKU: M9252LL/A
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Manufacturer description
Get the power, performance and value you're looking for in an all-in-one desktop computer that's as easy to use as it is to afford. eMac comes loaded with iLife software applications that let you do fun, creative things with your pictures, music and movies in ways that make PC users eat their hearts out. And the eMac also comes with high-speed FireWire and USB ports so you can connect to digital cameras, DV camcorders, external hard disks, graphics tablets, printers and scanners - just plug and play. Need to use your Mac OS 9 software as well? The eMac lets you do that, too, running all your Mac OS 9 applications in Mac OS X Classic mode.Product summary
The good: Excellent 17-inch CRT display; easy setup; inexpensive, updated models offer 1.25GHz G4s with 256MB of memory.
The bad: Limited expansion; only 32MB of graphics memory; meager documentation; mediocre warranty.
The bottom line: The eMac delivers an attractive, adequately speedy, easy-to-use PC without the flat-panel iMac's relatively high price.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/10/2004
The eMac's larger display comes at a price not found in the updated iMacs: portability. The design is nearly an inch bigger in height and width (but the same depth) as the original iMac, and it weighs almost 50 pounds. However, Apple doesn't provide side handles to make it easier to lift or move; the original iMac at least featured a handle on top for convenient carrying. Carrying the eMac feels like a dangerous proposition; it's tough to find purchase on those slippery, rounded sides.
Though you can't expand the eMac much, Apple compensates with plenty of external connectivity: one modem, one 10/100 Ethernet, three USB 2.0, and two FireWire 400 ports, all in a neat little row along the right side. A video-out connector lets you hook up to an external VGA display. However, you'll need a $19 adapter, and even then, you can only mirror the first monitor, you can't expand your desktop. For audio, you get a headphone jack and an input jack.
We noticed a few awkward touches on the eMac's otherwise simple design. The power switch, which sits behind the ports on the lower-right side, nearly to the butt of the machine, is hard to find and difficult to reach. Also, you can't adjust the eMac's display. If you want to tilt or swivel the view for better ergonomics, you'll have to spring for an optional $59 stand. Selecting a configuration used to be a nonissue with the eMac, but the line is now up to two choices. The $799 base model (updated in May 2004) offers a 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256MB of SDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, a combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive, a 32MB ATI 9200 graphics card, a 56Kbps modem, 10/100 networking, USB 2.0 and FireWire ports, and Mac OS X 10.3.3 Panther. The $999 model offers a 1.25GHz G4, 256MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a 4X DVD-recording SuperDrive (an internal DVD-R/CD-RW drive).
As with the iMac, the eMac's expandability is limited to a RAM upgrade (up to 1GB) or a new, 802.11g AirPort Extreme card. That makes the eMac a poor choice for gamers, who'll want better graphics performance, or for anyone who likes to add and remove components. But the eMac suffices nicely if you're just looking to get online, write some papers, send and receive e-mail, or balance your books.
The eMac ships with Mac OS X 10.3.3 Panther preinstalled, including the digital media suite iLife, plus the calendar application iCal; iSync for syncing up Palm OS devices and cell phones; Quicken 2003 and Word Book 2003; and the AppleWorks office suite. Application performance
Apple has brought the eMac up to speed with a 1.25GHz G4 processor, and our test system performed on a par with similarly configured iMacs. Of the two available models, the higher-end $999 eMac we tested compares favorably to both the 17-inch and 20-inch iMacs in terms of application performance. All three systems feature the same 1.25GHz G4 processor, 256MB of 333MHz RAM, 80GB hard drive, and SuperDrive. The eMac lacks the iMacs' LCD and employs a 32MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics card, while the iMacs feature a 64MB Nvidia GeForce 5200 Ultra.
With only half the graphics memory of each of the iMacs, the eMac was still able to keep pace with the 20-inch iMac and actually outperform the 17-inch iMac, thanks to its more recent version of Mac OS X (10.3.3). All three systems performed equally well on our iTunes test, taking just less than one minute to encode a large audio file as an MP3. In the end, the differences in application performance were so slight that they're not likely to be noticeable in everyday use.
CNET Labs uses two different applications (iMovie and iTunes) to test Apple desktop performance. Through the use of a number of timing tests CNET Labs is able to roughly determine the performance of a given system.
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System configurations:
17-inch Apple iMac
Mac OS X 10.2.7; 1.25GHz Power PC G4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 64MB; 80GB 7,200rpm Ultra ATA/100
20-inch Apple iMac
Mac OS X 10.3.2; 1.25GHz PowerPC G4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 64MB; 80GB 7,200rpm Ultra ATA/100
Apple eMac G4 1.25GHz
Mac OS X 10.3.3; 1.25GHz Power PC G4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Radeon 9200 32MB; 80GB 7,200rpm Ultra ATA/100 As with most Apple PCs, the eMac sets up in record time--you just plug it in, turn it on, and follow a few wizards--but its documentation is sparse. A foldout brochure depicts the initial hookup process, and the 40-page, illustrated user guide covers the basics of the Mac OS and some simple troubleshooting. It also shows you how to add RAM or an AirPort 802.11b card, but if you need more guidance, you'll have to check the eMac's help menus or Apple's Web site.
If you need other assistance, you'll find yourself on the self-service road. Apple's service-and-support policy remains subpar compared to what you find in the rest of the PC world. The warranty covers parts and labor for the standard one year, but it includes only 90 days of toll-free technical support. AppleCare's three-year extension costs $149. Apple's Web site is the consolation prize, packed with FAQs, a knowledge base, technical support, and an active message board. The only drawback is that even after you've paid for your support package, you still have to register for the free, online AppleCare services to take advantage of all of the options. It's a minor hassle, but it's a hassle nevertheless. We found the eMac to be simple enough to use and set up, however, that you shouldn't have much need to consult tech support.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 User Rating: 
7/10
Very Durable Desktop Computer.
Pros: Very Stable and Durable, easy to use you know where pretty much everything is,
I like the nice big screen.
Cons: It doesn't have very much ram meaning it will probably run slower, the system looks pretty ugly.
Ease of Use 4
Speed 3
Features 4
Looks 3
Overall this computer is remarkably stable. The kids at my school constantly pound on it daily. They have been sitting there for Four Years and show no signs of wear. Very good computer for kids.
User Rating: 
9/10
eMac was a great Apple computer
Pros: Elegant, reliable, fast.
Cons: Only came in 15 inch screen. 17 inch would have been a great option
I bought it with Panther OS and 256 mb ram. I then upgraded it to 1 Gig of ram and the Tiger OS. This eMac has run great.
The good thing about Apple machines is that with each new release of the new operating systems the machines keep up. The OS doesn't demand that much so in a sense you get more useful life out of your Mac.
I can now upgrade it to Leopard if I wanted to and the eMac would still run it great!
User Rating: 
8/10
emac is great
Pros: all in one, bright screen, good sound
Cons: slowed down after a few years
User Rating: 9/10
Great computer, runs smooth, reliable, and fast.
Pros: Almost everything
Cons: No standard VGA port.
User Rating: 
10/10
Very nice computer for EVERYTHING
Pros: nice flat screen,mac OSX tiger, comes with keybored and mouse,built in speakers,
Cons: uhh should come with 512 mb of ram instead or 256
User Rating: 9/10
Low cost, very resiliant
Pros: Great monitor (can't distort it like on G4/G5 iMac's, and brilliant screen), surprisingly fast, I use it as a media center (audio/video/photoshop) and it is perfect for the job. Better than mac mini because it is more upgradeable and comes with monitor,
Cons: Very heavy, G4 is dated (today: 2/15/2005), CD-tray is ugly, fan is loud, wish it could be smaller, but it IS a CRT.
User Rating: 9/10
The best all-in one- Hands Down!
Pros: fast G4 processor excellent display available superdrive 5 total USB ports
Cons: Comes with only 256 MB RAM, but unless you are doing serious gaming it's not much to worry about. Power button is located in awkward position.
User Rating: 8/10
It works great for what I need.
Pros: Works nicely editing videos, word processing, and surfing the web. 1 Gig of RAM is nice.
Cons: Graphics card cannot be upgraded. Tops out at 1 Gig of RAM.
User Rating: 9/10
My First Mac...definetly not my last!!
Pros: I love this eMac to death. I have the latest Combo 1.25GHz G4 model with the basic 256MB RAM and 40GB Hard drive and let me tell you this is the best computer I have ever used!! I also had the choice of two other Macs: the iMac G5 and the iBook G4, but I
Cons: Very Heavy, Speakers make screen shake at high volumes, little memory.
User Rating: 10/10
An Amazing Computer
Pros: I have just gotten the eMac today, and I am so happy with my purchase. The computer is so fast, easy to use and setup, and cool looking. Mac OS X has to be the best OS in the world!!!!!! No more worrying about viruses, worms, etc. The Safari web-browser i
Cons: When you pump up the music, the monitor shakes. It is a reported problem and will be solved with cheap external speakers.
User Rating: 8/10
Apple on a buget
Pros: The emac is a well constucted computer the graphics are better than I expected. It is fairly fast when in the new OS X. It is faster than I expected but not as fast as my 3.4Gig windows. The 64 bit stucture makes a big difference.
Cons: When you are useing older apps. In clasic the computer is very unstable and will crash alot. fI run my older version of Adobe GoLive on it. This is very dissapointing. Steve Jobs wants you to buy new software.
User Rating: 8/10
a great computer for the price
Pros: for a professional mac user like myself you just cant beat this machine. throw in a 512 chip , get a cheap scanner, printer and cable modem and youve got a system that is as good or better than the one i use at the office. all for under $1000. i probably
Cons: it is heavy and a little deep, speakers arent all that great but these are minor complaints about what is other wise a fantastic machine.
User Rating: 8/10
Best personal computer for homes with children under 18 in the house.
Pros: MacOS X is the easiest to use, most secure OS ever made. For under $1000.00 you can safely let your kids use a computer on the internet without fear of spyware/malware/virus infestation. With Apple's *brilliant* iLife suite they get to master digital phot
Cons: 256MB of standard RAM is not enough in a standard configuration these days. The upside being that eMac uses standard SDRAM DIMM sticks and is easily upgradable.
User Rating: 
6/10
Mac could have done better
Pros: This is a full featured computer without any setup. The only thing you have to plug in is the keyboard.
Cons: This is extremely heavy. If you like to move things around a lot this is not the computer for you. Also Mac likes to make computers that don't take up a lot of space, well this is great if you never mess with your computers componants, but if you like t
User Rating: 10/10
Glad I upgraded to it...
Pros: I had a first generation iMac. 6GB hard drive. I'm sooo glad that I finally got a new computer. The ease of use is still tops.
Cons: I haven't found any cons yet. I love the features that came with it.
User Rating: 
1/10
Unreliable, hard to trouble shoot
Pros: Atrractive appearance
Cons: Unavailabity of software, computer lockups. Not upgradeable
User Rating: 8/10
This made me into a lifetome mac-user
Pros: Bought this emac. 800Mhz, 60gigs, 512 ram with Superdrive. It has yet to crash with all we've put it through. Chose this model because of it's visual appeal, apple's reputation for quality, cost, and not targeted by viruses the PC's. The bundled software
Cons: We've experienced periodic screen flicker after 1 year. Also a heavy computer with no handles, but if you need move a desktop around alot, invest in a laptop.
User Rating: 9/10
The best computer for the money
Pros: I bought this computer on the apple education discount with the 1.25 g4, 512mb ram, 160 hd, and superdrive for about $1000. What a deal! The iLife software is great and even though it is not expandable it has all the ports you will ever need built in.
Cons: no floppy, limited graphics card but not a big deal. I think they puposely put in the lower graphics card to make people by the imac for $500 more dollars
User Rating: 8/10
All the machine most home users need.
Pros: All-in-one design. Easy to set-up. Fast processor for most consumer applications. Expandable to 1 GB RAM. Nice software suite included. relatively low price point.
Cons: Lack of internal expandability means relying on USB and firewire hubs if you have multiple peripherials. Not THE fastest processor out there- could standa speed bump.
User Rating: 9/10
I Made the SWITCH! I'm STAYING
Pros: The ease of use is exceptional. The eMac must be a woman b/c it anticipates your needs and provides just what you need without asking. I will never retutn to the other side.
Cons: Heavy and needs tilt/swivel stand(should be provided).
User Rating: 9/10
One of the best no-frills desktops!
Pros: A great value for the price. A great computer for a low cost DVD Burner, that still works just as good as higher cost ones. The e-Mac is great for Office apps., word proccesing and general multimedia.
Cons: This is defenately not the best Apple for gaming, but it is great for everything else.
User Rating: 
4/10
Jumpy Display!
Pros: Ergonomic, compact, reliable except for CRT screen freeze.
Cons: Screen freezes every few seconds, throwing off play of Marathon II. This may be related to the "raster shift" problem widely reported about eMacs.
User Rating: 8/10
After 1 month I converted my whole house from windows!
Pros: Wifi setup. It works well in the non mac network. Handles my digital pictures and iPod much better. Less chance for virus. Such a simple package gives a great family computer!
Cons: Very heavy. For a few hundred more I bought an iMac.
User Rating: 6/10
cheap & good , what else
Pros: voice command
Cons: strange display feature, 17' but 16' <not a straight line display>
User Rating: 9/10
very happy with my second mac
Pros: excellent crt screen,easy to setup and of course use.
Cons: have not come across any yet!*
User Rating: 9/10
emac is good!
Pros: the emac is the cheapest g4 and can do almost anything.
Cons: whoever gives the imac a bad review well I hate them :)
User Rating: 8/10
An "all-in-one" package deal
Pros: Large screen, everything is in one unit, excellent price.
Cons: Bus speed a bit slow.
User Rating: 10/10
really nice computer
Pros: Lots of capabilities, Mac OS X is very user friendly, very fast
Cons: Heavy and does not have a handle
User Rating: 8/10
Excellant product
Pros: I haved used an eMac for 1.5 years and work, and have had zero problems with it. The monitor is not an LCD, but certainly is on par with any CRT, and is definitely more than adequate. I am ready to replace the G4 tower I have at home, and given the equa
Cons: sound system is weak (what do you want for well under a grand?). It is heavy (but in a year and a half, I have moved my emac at work one time - the first week, when I added more RAM)
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent value Mac for hobbyists and pros alike
Pros: Cheapest G4 Mac ever! When packed with enough RAM the eMac is a very capable studio machine for design, video and audio professionals, it can run all major content creation titles without breaking sweat. Panther (OS 10.3), XCode developper tools, full iLi
Cons: Unlike the RAM, HD and optical media drive, the video card is not upgradeable.
User Rating: 
5/10
One of Apple's few Lemons
Pros: Nice package. Awesome, easy-to-use operating system.
Cons: Poor CRT quality control. Known problem with ultra-sensitive shadowmask in monitor. Moderate volume levels cause a shaky image from built-in speakers. (Read the Apple eMac discussion groups.)
User Rating: 8/10
fun, capable, reliable
Pros: CNET's gamer-biased review says "But the eMac suffices nicely if you're just looking to get online, write some papers, send and receive e-mail, or balance your books", ignoring the useful multimedia production capabilities. Also, the SuperDrive is an 8x b
Cons: CRT display not as sharp as LCD; 72Hz refresh rate @ 1280x960 is too low.
User Rating: 9/10
Simple, Easy All-In-One, Great Value!
Pros: Easy to set up and get online Excellent music, photo, video and internet software included Not susceptible to Windows viruses, worms or malware Complete consumer system at very reasonable price
Cons: Not for people who want to tinker with their machine Needs optional ($59) stand for tilt & swivel
User Rating: 9/10
Great video machine!
Pros: Very fast (x10) DVD-R burner on the high end model, which works seemlessly with iMovie and iDVD. Nice screen, very fast overall. Excellent price (under $1,000!).
Cons: It's not upgradeable, though at less than $1,000 and if it last my normal Mac product life (4 years), why upgrade? Buy a new one in 2008.
User Rating: 10/10
Excellent Consumer Box
Pros: It just works. It does what you want it to do without getting in your way. Comparably equipped PCs as much more more. Plenty of ports for expansion. Not for gamers.
Cons: There aren't any if the machine is used for what it was designed for. Everyday basic productivity. Office, internet, email, money management, etc, etc.
User Rating: 9/10
Best Mac deal EVER!
Pros: Beautiful screen, nice case, looks better in person than photos. Expandability? Can you say USB 2, Firewire?
Cons: Fan a little loud, heavy, but heavy is good in a desktop.
User Rating: 9/10
I have been a windows person..this is far far better
Pros: a graphic designer's heaven, new features make it easy to use
Cons: you have to get use to all the changes from classic to OSX, but well worth it
User Rating: 9/10
Finally--The mac for the rest of us
Pros: The new 1.25GHz eMac is fast enough for video work. With 512Mb of RAM, everything works like charm. It's fun fiddlin' with Garageband & iMovie and iDVD.
Cons: My unit is kinda noisy. No too much to make me worry about it. This Mac is so much fun that I suffer from sleep deprivation.
User Rating: 5/10
Fast and loud
Pros: Looks reasonably good, works very well (although I would have preferred the Jaguar OS over Panther), is fast and stable.
Cons: The fan is loud even compared to Apples G4 towers. This is the real difference to the user between the eMac and the iMac. If a humming fan disturbs your concentration you should not try to work with the eMac. Get the cheapest G5, a laptop or an iMac inste
User Rating: 9/10
You get what you pay for and then sum
Pros: Excellent Software, imovie/idvd/garageband/ built ing Speech regon and a whole bunch of other stuff. Every thing is built in to this computer, Monitor, speakers, mic, modem, land, firewire(2x). The OS system is finally stable (Panther version) I used
Cons: No handle to carrier it, and you cant upgrade any of the Componets including the video card ( mine is Radeon 7500)
User Rating: 9/10
The I MAC Alternative, and $$ Saver
Pros: Ease of use, plug & play. Compact design. OS X stability and reliability. HUNDREDS cheaper than the I Mac. Super drive works great. i Life is the best! E mac blazes with a cable connection. MACS RULE!!!
Cons: Kinda heavy. Shipped with too little memory, I had to max mine out at 1 gig. Can't upgrade video RAM (32MB) You need to buy the swivel mount.
User Rating: 9/10
Great display and surprisingly quick...
Pros: Speed, design, cheap dvd-burning. I got this with 512 and superdrive for under $1000. Quite a savings over imac. OS X makes using windows at work an even more painful experience.
Cons: Fan's a bit loud, but I'm not really bothered by that. Definitely spring for the tilt and swivel stand--otherwise emac is too low.
User Rating: 8/10
excellent value, easy to learn and use
Pros: very easy to set up and use. kids had no problem right off.
Cons: needs more ram, easy to have added.
User Rating: 9/10
exxxxcccelent
Pros: very easy too set up. No anoying crashes within the first day like a PC. Not prone to viruses
Cons: screen flicker on high volumes
User Rating: 10/10
Easy to setup eMac
Pros: Easy to setup just get out of the box then put it on the desk plug it in, then enjoy a new eMac.
Cons: Only one thing is con: Not enough RAM memory.
User Rating: 10/10
Veteran Mac user Approves
Pros: The built in software is why I keep using the Mac. Not being susceptable to so many viruses is also a plus. I have had this computer for a week now and can't break away from my new toy. The Itunes automatically swet up a streaming audio from my favorit
Cons: The safari browser does not dial up automatically. Could be I just need to go to the settings. The Tony Hawk Skateboard game caused the computer to freeze. Perhaps it was just thinking but I couldn't wait and forced quit and deleted the game. I don't d
User Rating: 8/10
Great Machine for Great Price!
Pros: Best computer I have ever owned. Among this list of ownership, I include four pcs to one mac.
Cons:
User Rating: 9/10
Beautifully Designed, Beautifully Executed
Pros: Fulfills all of my expectations. Its ease of use and operating system stability is a pleasure.
Cons: Lack of documentation. Purchased "Missing Manual" and "iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie & iDVD Bible" books. These books are very helpful for transitioning MS users.
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent computer for the money!
Pros: The Mac Operating System is what makes this nice all-in-one system the best solution for an everyday user on a budget. Easy to use system wiothout the hassles of Microsoft Windows. A fast performer for everyday use.
Cons: A tad heavy, but not a problem if you don't move it around. Earlier versions had loud fans, but that's been fixed.
User Rating: 8/10
Faster han iMac!
Pros: faster motherboard mojo! it seems that testing has shown this to be faster than a iMac with the same processor! Who Knew!!
Cons: not much for upgrading but that's not why you would buy this computer
