Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com

Poker Mac Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full Tilt Poker Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.

The iMac Channel

The eOne

24 August 1999 - Dan Knight

eOneIt doesn't look just like an iMac from the front, although the blue-and-white coloring is certainly reminiscent of the iMac.

So is the compact keyboard.

At least the mouse has the more traditional hand-fitting shape.

There are many similarities and differences.

Differences

  • It runs Windows98, not the Mac OS.
  • It's only $799 - or $399 after a $400 ISP rebate.
  • It has a 433 MHz Celeron processor. It sounds faster than the iMac's 333 MHz G3.
  • 128 KB level 2 cache, compared with 512 KB L2 cache on the iMac.
  • It has more memory: 64 MB vs. the iMac's 32 MB.
  • Internal floppy drive.
  • Parallel, serial, game, and PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports.
  • No memory expansion (iMac can be expanded to 384 MB).
  • Two PC Card slots.

Similarities

  • The color scheme
  • 15" (14" viewable) monitor supports resolutions to 1024x786.
  • 24x CD-ROM
  • Internal v.90 56k fax modem.
  • ATI Rage Pro video.
  • USB support.
  • 10Base-T ethernet (although iMac also supports faster 100Base-T speed).
  • Ports on side of computer, not the back.
  • No PCI expansion slots.

Limited Expansion

The iMac survived without expansion slots, so I suppose the eOne can do the same. And, unlike many Wintel computers, it has ethernet support as a standard feature.

This is a very encouraging sign. The Wintel world is beginning to see the importance of networking.

But the eOne has a sealed case. You can't replace the hard drive if you need a bigger one, replace the CD-ROM with a DVD drive, or even upgrade memory from the stock 64 MB.eOne

Conclusion

I'd fully intended to ignore the eOne here, as I do most Wintel computers. But the raves in The eOne: At less than a grand, love is grand indeed (Chicago Tribune) were more than I could handle.

Then that little gem near the end of the article: the sealed case.

Unlike the iMac, you can't open up the eOne to upgrade memory.

And then I visited their site to confirm it. Unlike any Wintel computer I've ever seen specs on before, there was no maximum RAM listing. It has 64 MB. Period.

And then I saw the rear view (above). I looks even more iMac-like from the back than from the front!

In some ways, eOne buyers who think they're getting an iMac get what they deserve: a cheap rip-off. On the other hand, putting your own brand of cola in a bottle shaped like Coke's will land you in court for design infringement.

If the concept of "trade dress" (distinctive appearance) exists in the computer industry, Apple certainly has grounds to sue eMachines over the eOne. LEM

Further Reading

Links for the Day

Recent Content

Recent Deals

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2010 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.

Custom Search

Amazon.com

Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Video Cards
Email Lists

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Low End Mac's Amazon.com store

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.