Based on the 1.25 GHz 2004 eMac, the education-only model includes a 1 GHz G4 CPU that was available either with a CD-ROM drive or no optical drive at all. The education eMac also lacks the built-in modem of the consumer model.

For connectivity, USB 2.0 replaces USB 1.1, and Bluetooth is an option. Apple also switched to Radeon 9200 graphics.

Although it has the same physical dimensions as the original iMac, the eMac is heavy – 50 pounds vs. 35-38 for the 15″ CRT iMacs.

This was the first generation of eMac to require Mac OS X. Although it supports Classic Mode in OS X , it cannot boot the Classic Mac OS directly.

IMPORTANT: The 2004 eMac was covered by the eMac Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues, which included problems with scrambled or distorted video, loss of video, and no power. Apple’s website includes a list of serial numbers covered by this program, although refurbished 2004 eMacs may be covered but have a different range of model numbers.

• Got an eMac? Join our iMac & eMac Group or iMacs & eMacs Forum.
• Our Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
• Our Panther Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
• Our Tiger Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.
• Our Leopard Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6.

Details

• Introduced 2004.04.13 exclusively to eduction market. Replaced 2005.05.03 by 1.42 GHz eMac.
• Model identifier: PowerMac6,4
• Model no.: A1004
• Order no.: M99832 (no optical drive), M99833 (CD-ROM)

Mac OS

• Requires Mac OS X 10.3.3 Panther
• Supports OS X 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger, and 10.5 Leopard

Core System

• CPU: 1 GHz PowerPC 7447
• Bus: 167 MHz
• RAM: 256 MB, expandable to 2 GB using two PC2700 DDR SDRAM (officially supported to 1 GB by Apple)
• L2 cache: 512 KB on-chip cache running at full CPU speed

Performance

• Geekbench 2 (Leopard): unknown
• Geekbench 2 (Tiger): unknown

Graphics

• ATI Radeon 9200 AGP 4x chip set, supports video mirroring to VGA or S-video with extra cost adapters (the VGA adapter also unlocks video resolutions on the internal display that are otherwise inaccessible)
• VRAM: 32 MB DDR SDRAM
• Resolutions: 1280 x 960, 1152 x 870, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600, and 640 x 480
• Display: 17″ (16″ viewable) multiscan to 1280 x 960

Drives

• Hard drive: 40/80 GB ATA/100, typically 5400 rpm, but 7200 rpm 80 GB drives are not uncommon
• Optical drive: none or CD-ROM

Expansion

• USB: 3 USB 2.0 ports
• FireWire: 2 FireWire 400 ports
• Ethernet: 10/100Base-T
• AirPort: accepts 802.11g AirPort Extreme WiFi card
• Bluetooth: accepts optional internal Bluetooth module
• Modem: none
• Microphone: built in (above monitor), standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input, not compatible with Apple’s PlainTalk microphone

Physical

• Height: 15.8 in/40.6 cm
• Width: 15.8 in/40.6 cm
• Depth: 17.1 in/43.3 cm
• Weight: 50 lb/22.7 kg
• PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
• Power supply: 150W

Online Resources

• Best eMac Deals.
• Best Classic Mac OS Deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
• Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3.
• Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.4.
• Best Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.5.
• What’s the Best Version of OS X for My Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
• Know Your Mac’s Upgrade Options, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.08.26. Any Mac can be upgraded, but it’s a question of what can be upgraded – RAM, hard drive, video, CPU – and how far it can be upgraded.
• Mini VGA to S-video Adapter a No Go for eMacs, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.11.24. You might think that Apple’s Mini VGA S-video adapter is a cheap way to connect your eMac or G4 iMac to your TV. You would be wrong.
• The Future of Up-to-Date Browsers for PowerPC Macs, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.08.31. With Intel-only “Snow Leopard” shipping, software support for PPC Macs will continue its decline. Also, a look at SeaMonkey 2 and Camino 1.6.9.
• Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac’s CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
• Tips for Installing or Reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
• Does Using Matched RAM Make Your Classic Mac OS Machine Faster or More Stable?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.28. Most Macs don’t need matched memory modules and seem to run just fine with mismatched brands and capacities, but matching modules may be a bit faster.
• Is Leopard Slower than Tiger on G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.17. Truth be told, when you have 1 GB of RAM, Leopard benchmarks an insigificant 4% slower than Tiger.
• Is It Worth Maxing the RAM in Old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably won’t improve resale value by the amount you spend.
• Do G4 Macs Have What It Takes to Remain Useful in a Multicore World?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.01.15. With dual-core Intel CPUs running beyond 2 GHz, is any G4 Mac a practical choice?
• The ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
• Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ’emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”
• Will Snow Leopard Support Some PowerPC Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.26. It just doesn’t make sense that Apple would ship a new OS that won’t support Macs sold less than three years ago.
• Leopard runs very nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That’s simply not the case.
• Every working computer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 2008.11.19. Whether it’s a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
• The future of PowerPC Macs and software as ‘Snow Leopard’ approaches, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.13. Apple phased out Classic Mode and G3 support with ‘Leopard’ last year, and next year’s OS X 10.6 won’t support any PowerPC Macs. Will other developers abandon PowerPC as well?
• How to clone Mac OS X to a new hard drive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.07. Whether you want to put a bigger, faster drive in your Mac or clone OS X for use in another Mac, here’s the simple process.
• 9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger”.
• Tiger vs. Leopard: Which is best for you?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.22. Two great versions of Mac OS X, but unless your Mac is well above the minimum spec for Leopard and has lots of RAM, stick with Tiger.
• Using low end Macs for Internet radio, Gordon R. Brown, My Turn, 2008.08.18. When the local public radio station moved classical music to HD radio, it was time to find another way to listen. An old iMac with iTunes solved the problem.
• The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn’t working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
• How to upgrade your eMac without cracking the case, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.07.14. Some people like to replace the components inside their computers, but with FireWire and USB 2.0, Apple has made it easy to upgrade using external drives.
• Upgrading your eMac for better gaming and hi-res video performance, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 2008.07.11. This eMac started out with too little RAM and not enough hard drive space. With several upgrades, it plays games quite well and handles HD video content nicely.
• Hasta la Vista, hello again eMac, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 2008.07.10. After fighting system slowdowns in Vista on a new Core 2 Duo Dell for 3 months, it was time to dig out the old eMac an become productive again.
• Leopard on old Macs, Leopard nightmares, bargain Macs for kids, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.06.04. Also getting the right version of Mac OS 9.2.2 for Mirrored Drive Doors Power Macs, using PC disk images with Macs, and using an ImageWriter II printer with Mac OS X.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• Jaguar or Panther on Pismo?, Mac 128K corrections, installing OS X from an iPod, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.29. Also an old iMac, an optical trackball for ADB Macs, internal or external hard drive for an eMac, and Leopard on a 500 MHz PowerBook G4.
• Safari 3.1 will be ‘crazy fast’, OS X 10.5.2 update, 20x SuperDrive from $35, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.02.15. Also Security Update for Tiger, Graphics Update for Leopard, Mac mini “as powerful as a larger desktop”, TechTool Deluxe update, and more.
• Restore stability to a troubled Mac with a clean system install, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 2008.01.15. If your Mac is misbehaving, the best fix just might be a fresh reinstallation of Mac OS X – don’t forget to backup first.
• Weak AirPort Extreme, Open Firmware hack, deleting old Systems, and spacing problems in Pages, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.12.07. Fixing a weak signal in AirPort Extreme, thoughts on the Open Firmware Leopard install hack, when it’s safe to delete an old System, and line spacing issues in Pages.
• Overheating Mac minis, ‘Road Apple’ label reconsidered, eMac repair extension, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.16. Also why the Mac mini is a wonderful computer, more Leopard on unsupported Macs, and contextual ads on Low End Mac.
• 1 working eMac from 2 broken ones, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2007.11.14. A pair of matching eMacs, each with a different failure, results in one working eMac and lots of leftovers.
• eMac virtual screen solution, PowerBook 3400 problem, IBM Model M and the Mac, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.26. Also G4 iMacs inspire lust, TrueType fonts and vintage Macs, deinterlacing DVDs, and Allegro USB sleep issues.
• Leopard DVD Player requires 1.6 GHz CPU, dual processor questions, and dual boot Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.24. DVD Player currently runs on any G3 that supports Tiger, but the new version needs 1.6 GHz of power and other bloat in Leopard.
• The future of eMacs in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.10.24. Early eMacs aren’t officially supported under Mac OS X 10.5, but Leopard could run well with the right upgrades.
• External $100 Sony DVD burner likes Macs, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2007.10.10. The box and manual say nothing about Mac compatibility, but this 18x USB 2.0 DVD burner is plug-and-play (at least with Tiger).
• WiFi options for Lombard, installing Tiger on a DVD-less eMac, 3D home design software, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.01. Two PC Card 802.11g options for the Lombard PowerBook, PowerPC version of OS X needed for eMac, three programs for home design, and a source for downloading old Mac software.
• PC war losers, Mac ‘just works’, $68 802.11n for older Macs, a free font manager, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.08.31. Also DVD region locking, the iMac’s glossy screen, Mac mini powerful enough, Chromac iMac housings, SanDisk’s 8 GB flash drive, and more.
• Software to darken iMac display, columnist returns iPhone, Logitech introduces air mouse, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.07.20. Also a USB turntable for turning your record albums into MP3s, a retractable flash drive, iPhone: The Missing Manual, Parallels Desktop 3 a major update, and more.
• Pismo the best PowerBook, capacitor problems in Macs, XPostFacto for Leopard, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.28. Also more on tin whiskers and why you sometimes have to remove RAM to get OS X to install on older Macs.
• The Truth About CRTs and Shock Danger, Tom Lee, Online Tech Journal, 2007.05.22. You’ve been warned that CRT voltage can injure and even kill. The truth is that this danger is overstated – and takes attention away from a greater danger.
• 11 No Cost Tips for Optimizing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Performance, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 2007.03.12. If your Mac is getting sluggish, here are 11 tips that can help restore its original performance.
• Installing OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ on DVD-challenged Macs using FireWire Target Disk Mode, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.10. Mac OS X ships on a single install DVD, which Apple will exchange for CDs at $10. But if you have access to a DVD-equipped Mac and a FireWire cable, you’re good to go.
• $899 education iMac, Classic on Intel Macs, LCD in an eMac, Mac mini in a Prius, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.07.07. Also Mac mini ‘almost sinfully attractive’, Mac mini benchmarks, iPod Updater 2006-06-28, new iPod car options, and more.
• Macs take away Microsoft pain, Macs revive James Bond, iMac king of all media, iWoofer, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.06.16. Also Windows users guide to switching to the Mac, Bluetooth firmware update for PPC Macs, universal USB 2.0 drive adapter, waterproof case for video iPod, and more.
• End of G4 models points to unprecedented value for used G4 Macs, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 2006.06.02. The PowerPC G4 may no longer have a place in Apple’s product line, but that’s a far cry from saying G4-based Macs are obsolete. If anything, their value is going to increase.
• How to add memory, replace the hard drive, and use a second display with your eMac, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 2005.02.01. Three low-cost ways to upgrade your eMac for better performance and greater flexibility.
• Screen Spanning Doctor lets you use a second monitor with your eMac and span screens, not simply mirror you internal display.
• Apple eMac Upgrade Guide is a great resource for information and pictures showing how to upgrade your eMac. Now get out there and make the most of your low-end Mac.
• Bargain Power: A $799 Mac with power to burn, Tera Patricks, Mac 360, 2004.08.04. “For $799, you get everything a Mac has to offer. And everything that Unix has to offer (power, dependability, stability, flexibility). All rolled into one. Point and click.”
• Oh, just go get yourself an eMac and call it a night, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 2004.07.02. The flat panel iMac is dead. Long live the eMac!
• Benchmarks: New eMac 1.25 GHz vs. iMac 1.25 GHz vs. PowerBook 1.25 GHz, Bare Feats, 2004.04.21. How does that new $799-999 eMac compare with same speed iMacs and PowerBooks? Not bad, but 3D gaming could be better.
• The iMac channel
• The iMac List, an email list iMac and eMac users

Cautions

• You cannot plug the iPod shuffle directly into the eMac’s USB port – it will not fit. It will not charge if plugged into a keyboard USB port or an unpowered USB hub. To charge it while using it with your eMac, you must us a USB extension cable, powered USB hub, iPod shuffle dock, or a USB power adapter.