July 5, 2006: Apple discontinues its low-end eMac product line. After more than a quarter-century of using CRT monitors in its computers, the move represents the end of the cathode ray tube era for Macs.
After ending the eMac, Apple shifts to the superior LCD technology still used for Macs today. When it comes to screens, thin is definitely in!
The rise and fall of CRT monitors
Apple started selling big, bulky CRT monitors in 1980 with the 12-inch Monitor III. This shipped as part of the ill-fated Apple III business computer.
Under Robert Brunner, Apple’s design lead from 1989 until 1996, the company explored LCD displays. The company ushered in the new era with the iMac G4 in 2002. Customers nicknamed the computer the “iLamp” due to its unusual design.
LCD means thinner displays for Macs
Although LCD displays cost more, they brought some big advantages over CRT monitors. These included decreased power consumption, increased brightness and a reduced flicker effect caused by the slow refresh rate of CRT displays. However, it took until the mid-2000s for Apple to finally pull the plug on CRT monitors by discontinuing the eMac.
The biggest impact of switching from CRT to LCD, though, was that the technology allowed Apple to explore thinner displays for Macs. These dragged the computer industry out of the “large beige box” era it had been stuck in since the 1980s.
eMac was like the iMac, but faster (and aimed at education market)
As large, boxlike computers go, the eMac, which was aimed at the education market, was actually a pretty neat computer. It looked like a white version of Apple’s original iMac. However, it ditched the travel handle. It also ran considerably faster, courtesy of its PowerPC G4 processor. It received a few upgrades during its life as an active Apple product line, with the final version boasting a 1.42 GHz CPU and Radeon 9600 graphics chip.
A working unit today will probably cost you less than $100, so you’re not exactly sitting on a goldmine if you’ve held onto one. However, due to its status as Cupertino’s last CRT Mac, the eMac definitely deserves its place in Apple history.
