1.30.2011

eMac gripe.

I've been using my eMac as my media server-cum-iPod docking station for about a year and a half, and it serves its purpose just fine, but I do have one serious gripe: That keyboard blows goats.

Seriously, could it possibly have less tactile feedback? Perhaps if they used stale marshmallows under the keys instead of fresh ones...

The only reason I haven't replaced it with the old keyboard from the iMac is that it's footprint is so much smaller, which is an important consideration in a keyboard that gets used maybe once a week. That and it's... well, prettier and cooler-looking, and the white keyboard matches the eMac. How Mac-dorky is that?

One thing that I am impressed with, however, is how useful it still is for web surfing; for a six-year-old machine, it's still capable of most everything short of gaming or video-heavy applications.

4 comments:

dr.dave said...

eMac's are awesome, for youtube you can try Youview or Mactubes (3.0.4) and you will be stunned at how well web video can stream on an old mac if you bypass Flash. Youview uses ffmpeg instead of flash. Mactubes lets you select quicktime as a player and its the best, fmt=34 flash actually streams effortlessly on my ibook G4.720p is still a bit much, I've only found one solution for that and that's coreplayer, a 20 buck pay app. A high def mp4 file will play with only 38% or so CPU usage. The same file plays in VLC or Quicktime plays with 90% or more CPU usage. Ok, I'll shut up now.

ricomac said...

What I don't like of the eMac it's fan noise. For a CRT all in one, It's a noisy one Mac!

I prefer the iMac 15" G4 to the 50lb eMac. I have two first gen Mac of these models

ricomac.

Tam said...

The eMac is noisy and pig-heavy, but that's the price paid for being inexpensive.

Of course, buying used on Ebay, the shipping costs probably make up for some of the price difference...

Brian J. said...

Pro tip: Wireless USB keyboard that you can stow elsewhere when not needed.

I found the concave shape to the keyboard a real turn-off, too.