eMac Base Configuration Now For Individual Purchasers
May 27th 2002
Following up on our previous story on Gray-Market eMacs, Apple has now made the base (CD-ROM) version of the eMac available to individual education purchasers.
The AppleStore now lists the base eMac at $1,049. Previously, only CDRW eMacs were available to indivudual K-12 and college students and educators at $1,249, with up-specced models at $1,516.
Apple is also making the eMac - and all education products - available to home schools (provided certified home schools supply appropriate documentation to Apple).
All individual purchasers may buy only one education-priced Mac within a 12-month period (1 July-30 June).
As a purchase incentive, Apple is currently offering a $100 rebate on the iPod with any Mac purchase - including educational purchasers.
Analysis: Those cheap G4s are out there: and with product filtering into colleges, K12s and home schools, that gray market is going to be thriving. You can bet we'll see these on ebay shortly. But don't buy if the seller's country of origin reads "Albania" (these are gray, very gray eMacs. Are you with me?).