Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best eMac Prices

2012.02.13

Short link: http://bit.ly/40p0v

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If you need a desktop Mac and don't need G5 or Intel power, expansion slots, or a resolution higher than 1280 x 960, the eMac could be just right for you. Our opinion of the eMac (somewhat dated) is summarized in The 2005 eMac and iMac Value Equation, and we've used three at Low End Mac headquarters.

If you want to run Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, be sure to buy an eMac with a Combo drive or SuperDrive or upgrade to a SuperDrive, as Tiger usually comes on DVD. If you want a SuperDrive eMac, you can almost always save money by buying a CD-ROM or Combo drive model and upgrading it yourself with a fast DVD burner, assuming you're comfortable working inside a computer (eMacs are big, heavy, and a bit tricky). OWC has 22x SuperDrives starting at $30.

The eMac Apple supports Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on all 867 MHz and faster G4 Macs with at least 512 MB of RAM and the ability to run the DVD-based installer. Leopard can be installed on 700 MHz and 800 MHz eMacs using various workarounds - see Unsupported Leopard Installation for details.

2004 eMacs (mostly 1.25 GHz) are the best used values and have Radeon 9200 graphics with 32 MB of video memory and 80 GB or larger hard drives. 2005 eMacs have Radeon 9600 graphics, which makes the 1.42 GHz models an even better choice for gaming. The 2004 and 2005 models are the only ones with USB 2.0, and they support up to 2 GB of RAM, so we recommend them over the earlier models with USB 1.1 and a 1 GB memory ceiling. More RAM always means better system performance under OSÊX.

Regardless of which eMac you choose, we recommend at least 512 MB of memory to unleash the power of OSÊX - more if you have multiple users, run a lot of programs at once, or depend on Classic mode. Adding 512 MB to the base RAM makes for a very perky system. Going to a gig is better yet, the USB 2.0 eMacs support up to 2 GB, and installing memory is trivial.

Ground shipping may add $35 to $70 or more to your final price. Used Macs usually include a 90 day dealer warranty. Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices to Dan Knight

Best Used eMac Prices

There are no good deals with SuperDrives. If you want an eMac with a SuperDrive, it's a lot more cost effective to buy a CD-ROM or Combo drive model and install a third-party SuperDrive. Prices start at $33.

700 MHz CD, $70, Wegener Media
700 MHz CD-RW, $110, Wegener Media
700 MHz Combo, $130, Wegener Media
800 MHz Combo, $140, Wegener Media
1 GHz CD, $160, Wegener Media
1.25 GHz Combo, $239 shipped, Power Max
HOT 1.42 GHz Combo, $199, DV Warehouse

Recent Memory Prices

All eMacs have two RAM slots.

2002, PC100: 256 MB, $12.79; 512 MB, $18.99 - 1 GB maximum RAM, $38
2003, PC133: 256 MB, $12.99; 512 MB, $19.99 - 1 GB maximum RAM, $40
2004/05, PC2700: 256 MB, $11.99; 512 MB, $12.79; 1 GB; $29.88 - 2 GB maximum RAM, $60

Best Mac OS Prices

Best Classic Mac OS Deals
Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals
Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Deals
Best Mac OS X 10.5 and Deals (requires 512 MB of RAM and DVD compatible drive)

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases, and shipping is not included. Since the eMac weighs 50 pounds (about 65 pounds boxed), shipping can be a big factor.

Vendors are listed in alphabetical order. Buying through some of these links benefits Low End Mac. Buying at these prices benefits you.

Profiles

USB 1.1, 1 GB maximum RAM, supports original AirPort

eMac 2002 (700/800 MHz): 700/800 MHz, 128/256 MB PC100 RAM, GeForce2 MX 3D graphics, supports original AirPort. Part no. M8655 (CD), M8577 (CD-RW), M8578 (Combo), M8891 (Combo), M8892 (800 MHz SD)
eMac 2003 (800 MHz/1 GHz): 800 MHz/1 GHz, 128/256 MB PC133 RAM, Radeon 7500 graphics, supports AirPort Extreme. Part nos. M9150 (800 MHz CD), M8950 (1 GHz Combo), M9252 (Combo), M8951 (SD)

USB 2.0, 2 GB maximum RAM, supports AirPort Extreme

eMac 2004 (1 GHz CD/1.25 GHz): 1/1.25 GHz, 256 MB PC2700 RAM, Radeon 9200 graphics. Part nos. M9425 (Combo), M9461 (SD).
eMac 2005 (1.42 GHz): 1.42 GHz, 256/512 MB PC2700 RAM, Radeon 9600 graphics. Good for gaming. Part nos. M99832 (1.25 GHz, no optical drive, education only), M99833 (1.25 GHz CD), M99834 (1.42 GHz Combo), M9835 (SD).

Deals

Models are sorted by CPU speed. We have noted whether a mouse and keyboard are included or not when the dealer includes this information. CD and "no CD" eMacs do not include a modem, nor does Apple offer the modem separately. If you wish to use one of these eMacs with dialup access, you'll need to buy an external USB modem.

DV Warehouse

Ground shipping may add $79 or more.

1 GHz Combo, 512/40, keyboard, mouse, $168
1.25 GHz Combo, 512/40, keyboard, mouse, $199
1.42 GHz Combo, 512/80, keyboard, mouse, $199
AirPort Card, $24.95
AirPort Extreme Card, $28.95

Mac-Pro

Ground shipping may add $49 or more.

1.25 GHz Combo, 512/40, $239.77
1.42 GHz SD, 512/160, $497.77

PowerMax

Free ground shipping. USB keyboards from $23, and lots of mice, many below $20. PowerMax has the broadest selection of used Macs among dealers we track.

1 GHz Combo, 640/40, APX, OS X 10.4.11, no keyboard, $219 shipped
1.25 GHz Combo, 1 GB/40, OS X 10.4.11, no keyboard, $239 shipped
a few other configurations listed

Wegener Media

Ground shipping may add $35 or more. 30 day warranty. Keyboard and mouse not included, $18.99 extra.

700 MHz CD, 256/40, $69.99
700 MHz CD-RW, 256/40, $109.99
700 MHz Combo, 256/40, $129.99
800 MHz CD, 256/40, $139.99
1 GHz CD, 256/40, $159.99
1.25 GHz Combo, 256/40, $209.99
1.25 GHz SD, 256/60, $359.99
tilt/swivel base, $9.99 with eMac purchase

We also track prices of Intel iMacs, G5 iMacs, G4 iMacs, G3 iMacs, and Mac minis.

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