When Good Things Go Unnoticed: The eMac

People are missing out on a huge opportunity. It is called the eMac and for many people, they don’t even know it exists. Imagine getting G4 speed with all you need to maneuver your digital hub through cyberspace. You can surf the web, do your finances, publish pictures, create movies, rock out to music, and burn DVDs. Now imagine it comes with built-in Harmon Kardon speakers, a brilliant 17” display and costs $800. Yes, I did say $800. The eMac looks like the original iMac, with its bulbous rear and cute stance on your tabletop. But it lacks the yumilicious colors it once had and instead has the cool white that is prevalent in the current series of iMacs. Apple has, in my opinion, quietly marketed the eMac to the educational sector for the last couple of years now to its detriment. Marketing the eMac to home users is where they should also spend time.

Yes, it is key to have Macs in schools from elementary up to college age. Apple has always been great with educational discounts and gaining exposure with kids. When my wife taught 2nd grade, her classroom had 2 iMacs. But her kid�s Apple experiences didn’t stop there. The library had a group of iMacs, the art classes used Macs and the coolest thing was the fleet of Tangerine iBooks all airport ready that were passed out to all the kids. Imagine seeing 20 seven year olds, all learning behind identical iBooks—it was quite a sight, and quite a testament to Apple’s presence in the educational market.

But what happens when these kids go home and their parents are using PCs? Well, it becomes counter productive. All those keystrokes that little Johnny mastered at school are no good at home. The research project that little Suzie made on iMovie can’t be worked on after school. Apple should concentrate their efforts at completing these kids’ computer experiences with Macs at home as well. $800 is very competitive to the Dells and Gateways in the world of personal computing, and the eMac looks a whole lot nicer on your desk.

So why the disconnect? I suspect the answer lies in the success of the iMac. As long as they are selling, Apple will of course make a bigger push for the newest, the fastest, and the trendiest. Why buy the eMac when for a few hundred more you can get the flat-panel iMac? The answer is that for some people, $1200 is too much to spend on a computer. So for unknowledgeable customers, they might suspect the iMac is the least expensive Mac and therefore, they will move onto the Dells of the world.

The eMac was and is a good idea and is finely executed. But until people know about it, it will not get the reputation it deserves. Everything that is great about a Mac for a very attainable price. So go buy an eMac or buy 2. You can’t get power and beauty any cheaper.