14 DAY TRIAL // The educational version of the iMac is remembered by some still, however, it looked like the eMac was lost amidst the Intel transition, as for a very long time there was no mention of it, not even from rumor sites. Now the eMac has resurfaced in an AppleInsider report that talks about information their sources have conveyed to about Apple's upcoming eMac.
The machine itself will still be an all-in-one solution, although according to the report, Apple is giving up on the bulbous design, which also happened to be one of the most expensive components of the previous eMac. It looks like Apple will also be dropping the CRT display and going for an LCD based unit, which will be much lighter and less cumbersome.
The report mentions that Apple is looking at the iMac design and using it as a blueprint for the new eMac; this would also have the benefit of saving on freight and packaging costs that will result from the computer's substantially smaller footprint and lighter weight, not to mention the ability to borrow on industry standard components that are already being used in iMac and minis.
It seems that the new version of the eMac can be expected in the second half of this year, in time to catch the second half of the educational buying season. However, if Apple is indeed building this machine using the current iMac as a stating point, that means it is very like for the company to release a new version of the iMac, to better differentiate the two product lines; either that, or it will not make the new eMac available to the general public.