10.3 Reasons Why You Need to Buy Two eMacs. Today.

Gazing ahead, it’s all one-piece new iMacs, which are mostly unknown and untouched. Looking over your shoulder, a mountain of eMacs awaits your next purchase. How about a two-for-one deal? (Info on both is handy at http://www.store.apple.com).

Let’s do the math. Basic eMacs cost $800 each. Add AppleCare service plans and shipping or tax and the price is a cool thousand bucks per computer. Throw in extra memory and your grand total for two shiny new eMacs cruises into the $2200 range. That’s a lot of money, but you’re getting a lot of computer(s).

What’s up, Nemo, you ask. Is that Arizona sun finally frying your bald head into incoherence? Perhaps, but let’s work through our “10.3 reasons” list.

REASON ONE = DOUBLE EXPOSURE. One eMac (E1) lives on the Internet and the other (E2) never goes online. E2 has no exposure to spam, viruses, or invasions of any online variety. E2 is a workhorse, or a gamer, or a dedicated Photoshop station, or whatever you decide, but it’s always ready to deliver speed and performance in a non-net way.

REASON TWO = SECURE ARCHIVING. Apple’s FireWire target disk mode is handy to transfer important files from one computer to another quickly and efficiently. You can go either direction, but first make sure that nothing being transferred onto E2 has any viral infections. Complete or partial archives and/or backups are conveniently located at the adjacent eMac, be it E1 or E2.

REASON THREE = FLEXIBLE RESOLUTIONS. As your eyes age you’ll appreciate eMac’s ability to display resolutions including my old favorite, 800 x 600, up to full screen capacity 1280 x 960 when needed to view two pages side by side. Many people still prefer CRT over LCD, for glass’s smoother presentation.

REASON FOUR = PHYSICAL SECURITY. Have you attempted to play tennis, or jump off a high dive, while carrying an eMac? The computer weighs a ton, and no sensible person would carry it more than twenty feet except under duress.

REASON FIVE = SPLENDID DESIGN. The eMac’s contoured blob shape is soothing feng shui on the eyes and nerves. New Apple keyboard and mouse are top of class for ergonomic and design qualities. Round speakers provide acceptable sound.

REASON SIX = SPEED AND PERFORMANCE. Current 1.25GHz G4 processors are f-i-n-a-l-l-y up to snuff for most of us, especially when you consider the typical home or small office Macintosher. With total 512MB memory, eMac/1.25 is darn fast, and with 768MB-to-1GB of RAM an eMac is a screamer in most situations. Full specs are at: http://www.apple.com/emac/specs.html.

REASON SEVEN = SOFTWARE. It’s built-in, including mighty AppleWorks 6, still one of the best applications of all time. All your iApps are ready to burst into action on both E1 and E2.

REASON EIGHT = UPGRADES. If SuperDrive(s) or Bluetooth or AirPort are your cuppatea, toss in a few more c-notes and load up those eMacs.

REASON NINE = FREEBIES AND BARGAINS. Scout online or local retailers for sales, refurbs, giveaways, and other promotional discounts. Dealers need to move those eMacs, and they’ll grin like October pumpkins when they learn you’re buying two at once. Ask for deals and they will appear.

REASON TEN = ROCKNROLL. Apple’s accessory swivel stand is a swinger and an elevator, providing eMac with the ability to twist and shout while it tilts and rotates.

REASON 0.1 = NETWORKING. If desired, you can have both eMacs on the same local or broadband wired or wireless network.

REASON 0.2 = MULTIMEDIA. Play a movie or download some iTunes on E1 while you’re experimenting with Photoshop filters on E2.

REASON 0.3 = ENVY. When people walk into your office or computer room they will say “Wow! You have two of those new white computers.” They will be impressed, and jealous.

It all adds up to 10.3 reasons why you need to buy two new eMacs today. Send me a digital photo of your setup once they’re in place.

But wait, there’s more. If you choose to add extra memory to your new eMacs instead of having an Apple tech perform the upgrades, get tooled before you get unscrewed. The single screw holding the memory bay shut is extremely small and tightly embedded. Go to a hardware store (tools, not computers) and buy a good-quality screwdriver, size specified in your eMac manual. Otherwise you’ll be stewing. Trust me on this one. But once the trap door is open, memory insertion is not difficult.