Conclusions.

So, we’ve got an eMac with the following specifications and software:

  • IBM PowerPC G4 800 MHz processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 80GB Hard Disk
  • 17″ Screen
  • Built in speakers
  • Mac OS X 10.4.10 – Tiger
  • Adobe Creative Suite 2
  • Microsoft Office 2008
  • Apple iLife.

And in terms of price I’ve spent the following:

Apple eMac:     £18

Parts:                £18.01

Air Duster:      £4.20

Cleaner:           £3.75

Fuel:                 £5

Total:              £48.96

 

That’s a perfectly usable Mac, with a decent array of software, with change from £50.

Yes, it’s not the fastest machine in the west, but believe me it’s perfectly usable.  Web browsing is a breeze, Office runs absolutely as intended and it can even run some more advanced media applications such as XBMC.  HD video is out of the question, but then this would be asking too much at this price point.

The best part is that almost every part of this eMac, saving the screen, can be easily replaced.  And if the screen were to fail then for another £50 you could transfer your hard disk into another one and carry on as if nothing had happened.  In a sense, this machine is more upgradable than most modern Macs.

So there you have it, a usable Apple Mac for less than £50.