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What could i use my eMac for?

So i basically ordered an eMac online. Its in perfect condition and still working like a charm. its the original 2002 model. 700mhz 40gb and 512mb ram. and unfortunately cd drive. it can't read dvds. i wanted to set it up as an entertainment system sort of. but now with cds only...no thank you. Does anyone have an idea on how i could set this thing up maybe? Thank you

eMac 2002-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 700mhz 40gb 512mb. cd drive

Posted on Mar 7, 2015 1:49 AM

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Posted on Apr 4, 2015 3:37 AM

Hi,


You could transfer things to it via Ethernet or Firewire.

18 replies

Apr 4, 2015 3:37 AM in response to bpali2001


its the original 2002 model. 700mhz 40gb and 512mb ram.



We have that same 2002 model that is running OS 10.4.11 and with 768MB RAM. It's not capable of much today--ours is sitting unused downstairs while I work out a "repurpose" or "scrap it" plan that takes in these factors:


1) I don't want to throw money at it to increase the RAM or hard drive capacity

2) The display quality on ours is quite nice so it could make a decent iTunes jukebox with visualizer, but the small 40GB hard drive doesn't hold a lot.

3) It is miserably slow on the web so any web-based function is a no-go.


So far, the only redeeming quality is that it will boot OS9 natively and is a very fast OS9 machine. We have a lot of older pre-OSX kids games and educational stuff left over and now have grandkids. It may well become their game and learning center.

Mar 20, 2015 11:46 PM in response to bpali2001

Sadly, the processor used in the eMac does not support Minecraft at all. There is a hack to bypass that, and it may actually get you on Minecraft Classic.


Older games from the late 1990's and the early 2000's work great on the eMac. They are very fun to play, and they are very small in file size, so you can store massive amounts of them. Just google "Games for 700 MHz eMac", and you'll get some results.



I have an eMac, so i have to go through the same thing. But old games are awesome.

Apr 1, 2015 11:37 PM in response to bpali2001

With his permission, I recently saved an eMac from a neighbour's hard waste collection. It still functions wonderfully well despite being stored in a garden shed since 2008. It is the 700 Mhz model but with a DVD burner. Connected to a router through ethernet and browsing with TenFourFox it seemed fast enough. I have installed Office 2011 from a backup disc I had, VLC for media and Formulate Pro to mark up PDFs. I have decided to spring for extra RAM and an Airport card - more than the whole computer is worth, I know. I am not sure what is available for email. And I wonder if an iSight camera could be made to work with an old version of Skype. Dropbox still supports OS X 10.4.11. Anyway, I will let you know how I go. I would be interested to hear what you and others eventually do with your eMacs.

Apr 24, 2015 5:12 PM in response to bpali2001

As promised, this is where I have got to updating my 700mhz eMac. The point was to see what could be done to connect the eMac to the modern setting. The short answer is, not very much.

I bought a few pieces. This is what they cost.

Item

Description

Cost $

Not used

Cost $

1.

Keyboard A1048 to replace the badly damaged Pro keyboard


$35

2.

Power cable


$15

3.

RAM 2 x 512mb PC133


$30

4.

Airport Card – not used

$45

$0

5.

Wireless network adapter TP-Link


$57

6.

Speaker covers – an indulgence


$36

7.

PRAM battery


$12


Total


$185.00






The Airport card will not connect to my wireless network, even though it has the capacity to connect to WPA2, unless I turn off all security for the network - not something I will do - and then it connects easily enough. Even then, the card only provides 802.11b connection and so the Internet experience is very slow, as Allan Jones notes. However the TP-Link Wi Fi extender allows the eMac to connect to the Internet using an Ethernet cable at 802.11n and so the Internet experience is much improved, though certainly not lightening fast. And of course any video content requiring a flash player will not play.

It should be possible for my iMac to connect to the eMac over Ethernet using the ‘connect to server’ function – it is another room, I do not have Ethernet cabling and the eMac is too big to fit into my study. But so far, I have not worked out how to do that yet over the TP-Link.

Video chatting seems not possible on the eMac. As far as I can tell, there is no video conferencing app for OS X 10.4.11. I have seen suggestions people have modified old versions of Skype so that they can at least have audio chats. But for me, modifying the software as suggested only damaged it so that it would not open. So there is no point buying an i-Sight camera – the only webcam that will work with the eMac – even though there are plenty available at around $100.

Upgrading to an Intel processor is not possible it seems, because no other processor or logic board of any kind can be fitted to this particular model eMac.

Sadly, I have reached the eMac’s limits, unless one of you has a suggestion for how it’s hardware could be upgraded. Absent that, I am going to unplug it and return the eMac to the peaceful slumber it has enjoyed since 2008.

What could i use my eMac for?

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