14 DAY TRIAL // Well, it looks like the rumors about Apple working on a replacement for the eMac were right in a way? Apple has announced the availability of a new $899 configuration of the 17-inch iMac designed specifically for the educational market.
Featuring a 17-inch widescreen LCD display, the iMac for education includes a Combo drive for burning CDs and reading DVDs, 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable up to 2GB and hard drive storage capacity up to 160GB. Every iMac also includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box using Apple's award-winning iChat AV, or recording a video podcast or iMovie using iLife '06. Providing the latest in high-performance connectivity options, the 17-inch iMac for education includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi for up to 54 Mbps fast wireless networking, a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire 400 ports.
Designed with today's digital classroom in mind, every iMac comes with iLife '06, the next generation of Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto?, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. Every iMac also comes with the latest release of the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS? X version 10.4.6 "Tiger" including Safari?, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running natively on the Intel-based desktop.
With the release of this iMac, it is unlikely that Apple will be working on a new version of the eMac, however, this could very well mean that a new iMac is on the way. The current design of Apple's all in one desktop offering has been around for a while, and while during the transition Apple has kept the design as it was to signal to customers that nothing has changed in terms of what makes a Mac a Mac, it might very well be that the next generation of iMac get a facelift? it is the right time for it.