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

Other products by Apple

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 22 x 22 x 23 inches
• Shipping Weight: 65.5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000695EQ
• Item model number: M8577LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,812 in Computers & PC Hardware (See Bestsellers in Computers & PC Hardware)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 5, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Originally designed for use in educational institutions, the eMac is Apple's most affordable PowerPC G4-based system. It comes complete with a 17-inch flat CRT display and a space-saving, all-in-one design that fits right in your home, plus award-winning digital lifestyle applications and Mac OS X, Apple's rock-solid operating system.

The eMac's PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine is so fast that its performance is measured in gigaflops, or billions of floating-point operations per second. In fact, it uses the same 128-bit vector-processing technology featured in scientific supercomputers--just what you need to accelerate intensive multimedia calculations, import audio files, and create video transitions in iMovie. The bottom line is that the eMac G4 processor makes digital media creation faster--which in turn means that you can spend more time playing and creating and less time waiting.

Not only will you do more (and faster) with the eMac, you'll see more, too. The eMac sports a 17-inch (16-inch viewable) flat CRT display. The display offers nearly 40 percent more viewing area than a 15-inch CRT, so you'll have almost 40 percent more workspace--perfect for viewing large images and multiple Web pages and documents. Since the screen is flat, there's less glare, making it easier on the eyes.

The eMac's all-in-one design has some tremendous advantages as well. For instance, there aren't a lot of extra cords, so setup is simple and desktop clutter is kept to a minimum. And in addition to the stunning display, the AirPort-ready eMac comes with a built-in 10/100Base-T Ethernet port for high-speed Internet access, plus FireWire, USB, and amazing stereo speakers--all in one compact computer that's smaller than most stand-alone PC displays. The eMac design is about the same size as the 15-inch-CRT-based iMac--8mm shorter, actually. And its body is made of polycarbonate plastic, the same material used to manufacture bulletproof glass.

The eMac comes with a CD-RW drive, perfect for playing CD-ROMs and burning your own music or data CDs. In addition, it provides you with the fastest and easiest way yet to access the Internet. It's so easy to set up and use, you'll be online and surfing the Web in minutes, using the 10/100Base-T Ethernet port for broadband (including DSL and cable modems) or the built-in 56K modem, or an optional AirPort card for working with the Web wirelessly. The Internet Setup Assistant appears the first time your eMac is turned on and automatically configures your system for your Internet service provider. All you need is an Ethernet connection or phone line--the eMac comes complete with everything else.

Product Description
The eMac comes packed with features and attributes that could easily make the dean's list. Come to think of it, you might say it is the dean's list made manifest. It's true that the eMac's design aesthetics are distinctly Apple-like. But the inspiration for the eMac came from you. For example, you asked for a 17-inch screen - while making it clear that you didn't want to have to buy new desks to accommodate a physically bigger computer. By the same token, you liked the idea of having a supercomputer in the classroom. You wanted your students to have the benefit of a PowerPC G4 processor, but it had to be affordable. You also wished for a computer with a space-saving design - and you insisted on not having to go out and buy new peripherals for it. To this last point, the good news is that thanks to Mac OS X, the eMac works with most of your existing printers and scanners. You can also use your Mac OS 9 applications in Classic mode.Macintosh listened, paid attention, and learned. The eMac is the result. The company addressed the concerns of educators right down to the tiniest detail. Take the placement of the serial number and Ethernet ID, for example. It may not be a big deal in the corporate world or in homes, but inventory management is an issue in schools and colleges. So to help schools manage inventory, the serial number and Ethernet ID are conveniently located on the inside of the optical drive door. And, thanks to the all-in-one design, you have fewer asset management tags to keep track of.The device is configured with Mac OS X startup.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good value, August 21, 2002

By	Peter Lorenzi (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best all-in-one Mac, August 3, 2002

By	David R. Poole (Temecula, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Value, July 16, 2002

By	Matthew M. Sanchez (durham, nc USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.