emachines eOne w/Home Network adapter (iMac clone w/Windows)
The iMac clone (in hardware only) comes with several improvements over Apple's all-in-one system--and also carries a lower price.
By Cade Metz ? September 3, 1999
Regardless of whether it's an imitation of the Apple iMac, emachines' latest low-cost desktop is a welcome addition to the sub-$1,000 PC market. Though priced from $400 to $800 after rebates, the emachines eOne includes up-market I/O hardware and is far easier to set up and use than almost any other Windows 98 PC. A caveat: Free technical support is limited to 15 days.
emachines eOne
A translucent-blue system with built-in monitor and speakers, the eOne has sparked an understandable lawsuit from Apple.
But in many ways, the eOne improves on the iMac design, offering a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive with external controls, video-input hardware, and a home network adapter.
Considering the iMac costs at least $250 more, we find such improvements hardly insignificant.
The floppy disk and CD-ROM drives are situated on the system's front panel, below a 15-inch display and between its two stereo speakers. Though sound quality is mediocre at best, the CD controls let you play audio disks even when the machine is powered down. The front panel also includes easily accessible USB, headphone, and microphone ports.
On the side of the eOne, a door slides open to reveal still more I/O hardware. Like the iMac, the eOne has a second USB port, an Ethernet jack, and a modem jack, but it also has a NTSC video-in port, two audio-in ports, and a home network connection. With the last--compatible with Intel's AnyPoint network--you can connect to several other household PCs and share files, printers, and Internet access.
Internally equipped with a 433-MHz Celeron chip, 64MB of SDRAM, and an ATI Rage Pro XL graphics engine, the eOne managed only a 17.7 on our ZD Winstone test and 192 on the 3D WinMark test. The PC is ill-suited for high-end games, but it handles other home applications adequately and provides capable video playback.
What's surprising is how carefully the eOne has been designed and documented--how easy it is to set up and use.
Merely connect a power cord, a keyboard, and a mouse and the machine is fully operational. If even this seems daunting, or if you need help with any of the system's features, emachines provides a surprisingly effective user guide and a clear, complete setup poster.
Currently sold exclusively through Circuit City stores, the eOne will eventually be available from other retailers nationwide. All buyers are given a $50 mail-in rebate coupon, while those who opt to use the machine's CompuServe 2000 Internet service can receive an additional $400 rebate. Of course, CompuServe 2000 will cost you $21.95 per month for 3 years, and you may have to pay emachines for technical support as well.
The net price may extend beyond $400, but the emachines eOne is nonetheless a bargain.
emachines eOne. Street price: $850 ($800 after rebate).
emachines Inc., Irvine, CA; 877-566-3463; Company Info. |
