Really,
eMachines? You're honestly going to give your newest cheap-o PC this kind of tagline? Truth be told, we're not exactly sure what a standard sized dictionary even looks like (there's this thing called the internet...), but apparently, it's exactly the same size as the EL1200 desktop. Not sassy enough to be called a
nettop, this here mini-tower is 40% smaller and 55% lighter than the company's second tiniest rig, and while it won't handle the likes of
Crysis, it shouldn't have too many issues surfing the web and opening Word documents. As for specs, we've got a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 2650e 64-bit CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce 6150SE integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR2, 160GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD burner, 14-in-1 multicard reader, seven USB 2.0 ports and a $298 (MSRP) price tag. That system we just rattled off is available now at Wally World, while a slightly more stacked edition can be had at Best Buy for $349.
posted Oct 10th 2008 5:27PM
not bad, but for $100 more, they should throw in a monitor (CRT?) or something....
that's one BIG dictionary.
Thats one irrelevant reply.
Debating its wimpy specs is missing the point. The main selling point its size. 4B (Big Boring Beige Box) desktops are dead. People buy either laptops, or small desktops--nettops--for versatility. It being cheap doesn't hurt either. The concept of "good enough" is proven with the netbooks, which is the hottest segment right now. That the economy has gone to the crapper can only help this trend.
From eyeballing the picture alone, it looks to be using a mini-ITX board, which are starting to show up at the usual places. I've seen a couple of 780G ones for AMD, and Newegg has gotten some GeForce ones for Intel. The $300 price point is in line for a retail box like this, although you can probably do better DIY if you can find some good ITX case. Call it a cheap HTPC or call it a nettop, I think this will be the next hot category alongside netbooks--small size, low-power (hence low-noise), and cheap. But good enough for watching movies & browsing the web.
OK, this particular one won't do 1080p H.264. For that, we'd have to wait for a bit for the 780G/X4500HD chipsets to show up.
Mac mini is better.
Do they even make CRT any more?
Acer seriously needs to kill the eMachines brand. The only thing eMachines was good for was selling cheap desktops. With the days of desktops numbered, especially in the consumer space, and every company selling desktops in the same price range, what is the point of keeping it.
Well, it's a very cheap desktop, that's the point. Very popular in WalMart, BTW
You're right. They need to re-brand the line as Mr. eMachine, with a teal and lime-green psychedelic scheme.
My question is this? Who cares that they are around? It's a $300 computer that isn't targeted at you. If Emachines and other companies weren't around, the price would be more, you know, that little theory known as supply and demand. When there are a lot, the price is low, when there are few, the price is high. Also, in the economic crunch we are in, why should Grandma spend $1200 on a computer to surf the web?
Grandma should spend $1200 so Engadget posters can go to Grandma's house and play Crysis
@ Lowest Ranked....I'd buy it =P ....actually no I wouldn't, my laptop kicks ass and I'm broke as shit... But it still sounds cool to me
Grandma did spend $1200+ and yes, it plays Crysis.
@Lowest Ranked: Ruh-Roh, no one got your joke
tom......, please.......... blend it.
http://www.willitblend.com/
I second this motion.
I second the seconding for that notion.
But seriously, this looks okay, I might buy one to use as a media server actually, nice specs and somewhat small.
It's probably running vista where that 1 gig of RAM will not get you much performance even for web browsing.
1 gig should be enough for browsing the web.
Yes, it /should/ be, but like he said, it's probably running Vista.
Actually, let me take that a step farther.
512 MB should be enough for web browsing, in addition to many other simultaneous activities such as chatting and listening to music.
My laptop runs Vista and has 1 gig of RAM, I've never had any performance issues. Vista is severely underrated.
the link says it has xp home.
Actually, according to the actual press release (I guess we can't be bothered to read the linked article, can we?), the base version comes with XP Home, and is available at Wal-Mart for $300. The slightly bigger brother has twice the RAM and twice the hard drive and somewhat better integrated graphics, and comes with Vista Home Premium, for $50 more.
Engadget is always hating on eMachines, just because they're cheap and do a good job for their targeted audience. affordable FTW!
The worst computers I've ever worked on were eMachines. They were horrible.
agreed why the hate? its just an affordable general use machine.
I hate eMachines because of the power supply failure that occurred on mine in 10th grade that resulted in a fried motherboard and hard drive, which caused a loss of a research project the day before the expo... still won a couple grand =]
@MyHeadisFed:
This happened on BOTH the emachines (bought a year apart) I had. PSU dies, fries the motherboard, and (on one of them) kills the ram. eMachines is crap, it's that simple. Their "target audience" may be happy with it... Until it dies, and they don't know how to swap the HD into their new machine/assume that if the computer's dead the data is gone. Then they're not so happy.
My emachines T3092 (AMD3000+, 160gb HD, DVD+-RW, NVIDIA Geoforce4 MX) is still humming along, and I bought it in 2004 when I went back to finish my degree. It was even a store demo model, and came with all kinds of personal crap from some store employee on it. I use it daily, with 52.2 gb of music, 38.5 gb of videos, and 16.6 gb of photos on board, and it still performs like a warhorse. Granted, I'm not a gamer, but as a media repository and for surfing the tubes, it's been a solid little box. 'Bout time to replace though...
Interestingly enough, the Dictionary sitting here on my desk (Webster's New American Unabridged 2nd Ed. 1966) is pretty big: 13" x 9" x 5". And they tell me that there are new words, added since the 60's!
yeah...a lot of people buy them for kids and the kids don't realize that they're not meant for more than pretty simple processes. myself included...so they mess up their computers. it's not pretty. although the pleasure of ripping that sh** apart when it finally became way too outdated was immense. it's just better to invest in a better computer. but this computer would be good for someone who doesn't need a good computer and just needs to read news on the internet or something.
My folks are still using my 600MHz Celeron eMachines from 2000, and have never had any problems.
However, any time I'm forced to use it I almost throw it out the window...doesn't quite compare to my quad-core.
I just built an intel atom based machine with 2gb ram, 500gb hd and dvd burner for less than that via newegg.
Runs mce 2005 like a champ!
your right along with the Grandma that can use linux can do that, but this works for people who don't know as much and want a general use machine.
Which is why you build it, then give it to your grandma.
I'm getting disrespected here a lot lately.
There are actually people over 40 y.o. that can use Linux, know a CPU from a GPU etc.
See if you get to come to my house for cookies n' Crysis.
@niz
All I was getting at it it's NOT a good deal at $300. What they are selling you
is scrapings from the bottom of the old computer parts barrel. A 160GB HD?
Really... What are those like $25 now?
How is it not a good deal for $300? It includes a licensed OS which I'm sure yours doesn't, not to mention warranty on parts and labour.
For $300 I definitely think it's a bargain. I would never buy one, but I would probably recommend it.
Congratulations
Sadly my desktop computer for almost 3 years was an eMachines. It was "decent" in specs- the 40GB HDD and 256MB of RAM made it just fly!
For the price (I think that with the monitor which still works 8 years later, and an all-in-one X1150 Lexmark printer it was $479 with rebates), it was decent for what I needed- something for school work.
And since people apparently don't RTFA:
The $298 version has 1GB DDR2 RAM and XP SP3; the one that's more expensive has Vista SP1, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 320GB HDD instead of 160GB. Nothing else really to note that's a difference. For the price you would think it could pack a bit more processing power, but it should be an okay desktop for those kids that just need something to go online and do schoolwork (middle school age maybe?).
@Juremiah
Well, Acer and Gateway are also associated low prices, and are part of the same company. I wouldn't consider three brands from the same company as real competition. It would probably lower prices if they mananged two brands rather than three. By the way, I was never suggesting that they should stop making cheap computers.
Stop posting useless comments just to spam your useless blog.
Forget this, netbooks are better and they're portable = win.
watching hulu on my TV. I dont need portable and i dont need a screen.
When you can find a netbook with 2 gigs of DDR2, a 320GB hard drive, a 14-in-1 multicard reader, SEVEN USB 2.0 ports and a $349 (MSRP) price tag THAT CAN ALSO BURN DUAL LAYER DVDs then you will have a valid point. Until then, there are some people who don't need mobility and NEED a computer that can do the whole optical drive thing. And they want it for less than $350.
Jesus, that'd be a huge dictionary. Looks more like a phonebook.
it's not webster. it's oxford.
They should build an LCD into the speakers for an extra $50, and forgo the keyboard and mouse in favor of a writing pad for an extra $300. That would make it a respectable buy for my meat-indexing system and carcas database at my butcher shop.
I need one that will hotwire cars for my grand-theft hobby... so maybe they can include a serial port or something? i would probably buy one if it had that
Mac MINI. That's all I have to say.
A mac mini for $300?
That'll be the day.
Size of a dictionary? That's like Apple coming out with a laptop "the size of an abacus".
Or... "This printer is smaller than your standard breadbox!"
Coming soon... Computers at your nearest 99c store.
Anyone else notice how Crysis has become the Doom of our time? It's really pathetic.
What's a dictionary?
Your mom... Your mom is a dictionary.
I have at least two currently unused computers (sans HDD for the time being) that are of that spec or higher.
Kinda sad that they would slap a $300 price tag on that.
I work in a position repairing computers and emachine (and esystem) are always the ones to bounce back. Its usually down to the besttec PSU's that they use which usually end up frying the motherboard... id just spend the extra £50 and get one with decent parts...
1gb of memory? Come on eMachines this isn't 2006. Walmart got shafted that's for sure, the Best Buy version for a mere $50 more is significantly better. I guess they gotta keep pandering to the XP is better crowd out there tho, ignorant customers are the lifeblood.