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Apple Revises eMac
RadRafe writes "Today Apple revised the eMac. It now sports a 1.25 GHz G4 processor, DDR RAM, and Radeon 9200 graphics. The Combo Drive model has twice as much RAM as before, and the SuperDrive model now costs just a grand. This is the first consumer Mac update in five months."
Anyone know this machine with the 1.25 GHz G4 processor fares against the new Intel 3.2Ghz processor with 1Gb RAM?
...hello..?...consumer market...Hellooooo....?
At a grand with a Superdrive, seems like a nice little system for me to use when at home rather than setting up my Powerbook G4 when I get home...any comments on how usable it is? I'd definitely bump the RAM up from 256mbytes ;-)
-psy
This'll be a lot easier to sell at work. (CompUSA)
...because asking people about Emacs isn't confusing enough already.
This sig is only here so people stop skipping the last lines of my posts.
For under $800 this Mac is a bargain for potential "switchers". It is a Jaguar system for those who don't want to invest in a $2,000+ G5 setup to give the Mac a try.
When I wanted to try out OS X, I did so with a $1800 Powerbook Ti G4 at 400Mhz, 256k RAM, 20GB HD, and a CD/DVD reader. I found that system well equiped to flex the power of then OS 10.1. Panther and Jaguar are both responsive on my 400Mhz PB and I can only imagine that on the $800 eMac, especially if the 256k is upgraded, it would be a great low cost Mac.
This eMac system is well equiped for experimenting with iMovie, iPhoto, iTunesMusicStore, and GarageBand - all which come with it. For just $200 more you get a DVD burning SuperDrive and twice the drive space.
But like I say, for $800, this is a great system for those who don't want to make the investment in a G5 inorder to give OS X a try.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
The eMac has Firewire 400, not 800.
What a rip off Apple, no one is ever gonna buy the 40 GB iPod now - not when for just $300 more they can get a 40 GB music player with a combo drive, airport extreme & bluetooth support, and a 17" CRT for viewing cover art and playlists.
Plus it comes with Garageband and iTMS BUILT IN!!!
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
Please enjoy your windows boxes. We'll see you on the flip side when you finally give OS X a try.
I am by no means rich, but in the grand scheme of things, a few hundred bucks to buy a system that WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WINDOWS XP is worth it to me.
The hardware specs aren't what makes the difference man, it's the SOFTWARE. OS X is the best of UNIX under a fantastic GUI.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
Dell Dimension 2400...sixhundred seventy-nine dollars....
Dell Dimension 4600...nine hundred ninty eight dollars....
Saving a buck of two for an inferrior user experience....priceless
There are somethings money can't buy....for everything else, there's Microsoft.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
But what does the 'e' in 'eMac' stand for?
Hopefully, not for electonic as that would be a bit redundan t.
Moderators are morons, the parent is a joke, not a flame
I know, another slashdot Windoze/M$ vs. "two words: Mac gamer" flamewar is just what we need, but the parent is on topic and not flamebait. For dog's sake, if the editors post an advertisement for a new mac, people should respect a post that meets the ad on its own terms.
I'm curious to know why the PARENT is flamebait.
If you want a game machine, buy a PS2
If you want to run some special windows only app, buy Virtual PC for OS X
If you want to get work done in an efficient, user friendly, secure, stable, virus-free, low stress manner, buy a Mac
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
$749 for the combo/40gb, and $899 for the superdrive/80gb!!! That's $100 savings on the latter. Seems like it'll be a great buy for students who.
I know this is off topic, but I don't know where else to ask... What is Karma whoring?
And in case I'm doing it right now, please keep your dogma away from my karma.
#|
WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WINDOWS XP is worth it to me.
Have you even used Windows XP? I prefer Windows 2000 myself - it's a little more business casual in appearances and features, but it works very well.
Windows XP works just as smoothly. Hardware is supported, drivers are updated. The system just works. If you continue to base your opinions on a copy of Windows 3.1 you once used ten years ago - OS 9 was arguably even worse (and didn't even have memory protection).
If you think Windows has some "security problems" - you've bought into the anti-Microsoft FUD. In the modern world, anyone is asking for it if they don't have a hardware firewall and if they execute email attachments they receive from complete strangers. It doesn't matter what OS you run.
it's the SOFTWARE. OS X is the best of UNIX under a fantastic GUI
If you want Unix, install Linux or FreeBSD. Install SuSE, install Debian, Lycoris or even Lindows for that matter. There are choices in the Windows world.
There's no need to pay Apple for a decent Unix experience.
well, in order. A different proccesor architecture, theres a fuckload of software, and almost any gnu app can easily be ported (or, if you don't insist on tying apple products to their OS, you can run linux or BSD just fine), blizzard dual releases and other companies eventually port (but if you only own a computer for games, why do you read the apple slashdot page... oh, you're an AC. this post doesn't really matter.) I use a g3, a dual g5, an ulstra sparc, 1 althon box and 3 pentium III's. I like my macs better. oh well.
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
except that you don't actually NEED that, if you really want to raise it a bit, sit it on a phonebook
Karma whoring typically involves
* Reposting material from the articles linked to. This works famously because Slashdot readers often don't actually read the article before responding to it or moderating. Thus, karma whores look like they are providing useful information when they are just regurgitating common material.
* Reposting common links, especially those that get around the "free registration required" to read articles on the NewYorkTimes? web site.
Karma Whoring is the act of posting something that you know will get modded up high, thus increasing your Karma (see below). The difference between Karma Whoring and just making a good post is that you do something like re-post the content of a slashdotted site from an article or something likewise mindless that doesn't really add to the discussion but gets you mod points.
Karma is a concept the moderation system uses to rank posts. Positive mod points increase Karma and vice versa. For people with good Karma, your posts automatically start off at a higher rating (2) than neutral karma users (1) or negative ones (0).
>Even with their update, the entry level Macs are still not even remotely competetive with today's cutting edge Intel machines.
since when is a 2.4GHz celeron cutting edge?
If you want a game machine, buy a PS2
If you want to run some special windows only app, buy Virtual PC for OS X
Can I have some of your money please?
You obviously don't care how much you spend on computer equipment if you're buying a $1000 Mac that sucks for multimedia applications.
If I do as you suggest, I'm looking at a $180 Playstation 2. A TV is, say $200. Virtual PC: $130. That's an extra $510 tax just to play games and run windows applications.
I can actually buy an entire PC for $510. And it won't even be bottom of the range.
If you want to get work done in an efficient, user friendly, secure, stable, virus-free, low stress manner, buy a Mac
Let's look at the Windows experience, shall we:
+ Friendly. Check. XP is easy enough for my mom to use.
+ Secure. Check. Get a cheap hardware firewall / router on your internet connection and you'll have zero intrusions - even if you don't run Windows Update.
+ Stable. Check. I last saw a bluescreen crash about 18 months ago - due to a network card that failed. Yes, a hardware problem.
+ Virus free. Check. I'm sorry, but if you run random attachments you receive in the mail, you're asking for trouble.
+ Low-stress. Check. Windows just works.
Mozilla is actually the most unstable app on my system - I use it primarily as a development workstation, for games and for occasional document processing and photo printing.
+ Virus free. Check.
You're on crack
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
blizzard dual releases and other companies eventually port
I hate to break your bubble, but EBGames (a major videogame retailer with brick & mortar stores throughout most of the continental US) - currently has three Mac games on sale.
Yes. That's THREE (3!) games (and one strategy guide to a game they no longer sell).
(but if you only own a computer for games, why do you read the apple slashdot page... oh, you're an AC. this post doesn't really matter.)
I really, really hate iSteveJobs.
since when is a 2.4GHz celeron cutting edge?
Since people stopped caring about how much a large cache improves performance.
so, get an xbox instead $149, then you can play Ninja Gaiden, the best game ever. xbox is way better then ps2:P also, you don't already have a TV? not even a commadore 64 monitor to use as a TV occasionally with a vcr? nothing? what it wrong with you!
Positive mod points increase Karma and vice versa. For people with good Karma, your posts automatically start off at a higher rating (2) than neutral karma users (1) or negative ones (0).
/Positive / Good gets +1
i believe you're a little off there
Excellent gets +2 (you have the option to not include the extra +1 with each post you make)
Neutral
Bad / Terrible -1 (anonymous posting disabled)
The extra +1 for users with Excellent karma is actually just a threshold preference for registered users and the set display mode for someone who has not logged in. if you are a registered user it is by default to add an extra +1 for registered users with excellent karma, which you can change (most don't)
XP can easily be virus free. Three easy steps:
1) Start with a fresh install of Windows.
2) Plug in monitor, power, keyboard, mouse.
3) Stop.
So long as you follow these three steps EXACTLY, you will not have a single virus on your computer.
DISCLAIMER: I cannot make any promises if you attempt any other actions with the PC.
would you go to a best buy to get a sparc station? that would be ridiculous. you'd go to a vendor that had what you want. a single vendor is never a good example of anything. considering i currently own 10 or so mac games (ha!), i'm quite sure theres more than 3. but it is a point that there simply aren't as many games for mac. this does mean that a lot of the stinkers don't cross over, though.
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
Cache = store, etc. I think you might mean cachet. That's pronounced "kash-ay" for you Americans that don't speak foreign.
This is an obviously bogus comparison. Since when is a 2.4 celery a 1.25 ppc? Even worse, motherboard integrated el cheapo graphics don't compare to a Radeon 9200. This is not even considering the iLife suite, the comm ports on the mac, and os x. The high-end dell machine is nice, I'll admit, but what it gains in terms of hardware is compensated for by things like the iLife suite on the mac.
specially when you're trying to run OS X on Intel's processor.
A lot of people I know bought a Mac because of OS X, it didn't matter if it was "slower" than a comparable Intel processor in certain functions. Show me an Intel processor than can run OS X (not just Darwin) then we can start talking about speed comparisons.
At last a reasonably priced Apple computer. And the international prices don't have the standard 50% Apple International tax, they are reasonably close to the US prices after currency conversion!
:)
For a laugh earlier I configured a system on Dells site with similar features. This was a 2.6GHz Celeron 2400C system. It came out higher priced than the eMac (eMac 549, Dell 580) for as close a match of specification as possible (and I made sure that warranties, etc, were minimal on the Dell, I'm not an Apple owner so I won't cheat like that!). Certainly not a bad deal in my opinion, especially with iLife and Panther included (after a year of using XP, I realise how much I loathe it). The Dell looked like a turd as well, if that matters to you!
If I do as you suggest, I'm looking at a $180 Playstation 2. A TV is, say $200. Virtual PC: $130. That's an extra $510 tax just to play games and run windows applications.
I'm willing to bet $5 he already has a TV. And a $180 PS2 will set you back almost as far as a decent videocard... oh and you don't have to pray your game starts whenever you want to play it either.
Stable. Check. I last saw a bluescreen crash about 18 months ago - due to a network card that failed. Yes, a hardware problem.
Windows XP... Stable... funny, never thought I'd see them in the same sentence together. I personally have NEVER seen an XP bluescreen... my WinXP never gets that far, just freezes up.
Virus free. Check. I'm sorry, but if you run random attachments you receive in the mail, you're asking for trouble.
Want some crack? 'Course you do! If you think opening email attachments is the only way to get a virus in Windows, you probably have never been on a corporate network where they spread like wildfire.
Low-stress. Check. Windows just works.
Stress is the reason I dumped my Windows PC after being a strict user since Windows 3.0. If MS can't make a decent OS, I don't want to give them any more money.
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW); writes DVD-R discs at up to 8x speed, reads DVDs at up to 10x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 10x speed, reads CDs at up to 32x speed
8X DVD-R speed, that's twice what they're putting in the G5s! Bonus points for that. It's nice that it's not a bare-bones low end model.
I tend to think that people who write in CAPS are trolls, but since I can't mod you down, I guess I'll have to answer:
Yes, OS X (10.3 at least) is a very, very good operating system -- I own an iBook G4 -- but only if you agree with the design philosophy. OS X was designed for completely different people who want to do completely different things with computers than, say, Linux users. Lots of people in these discussions don't realize this and get their panties in a knot about which system is "better". This is sort of like asking if a bread knife is better than a scalpel.
Apple provides you with a flashy, very consistent, closed, minimal-options operating system that starts with the idea that choice is bad and will confuse the user. Steve Jobs tells you what you can and can't do, and in return, you don't have to deal with the computer as such: You just plug things in, and they work (or they don't). It is ideal for people who just want to listen to music, surf, do some email, and chat -- that is, 90 percent of the population. If this is all you want from a computer, by all means, go buy a Mac. It is what I recommend to my computer-illiterate colleagues when they complain about the latest Microsoft virus or crashing Windows.
However, some people think choice is good, and want to be able to decide for themselves just where they want to be in the big computer trade-off of ease-of-use and efficiency. To take the cliche example, one mouse button is not confusing, but when you do lots and lots of cut-and-paste, three buttons kick ass all over the place. One single desktop is not confusing, but virtual desktops give you more room to move without having to invent flashy tricks like Expose. A mail program without TLS support is one less option for the user, but if your provider happens to require that extra layer of security, you're screwed.
This is the reason why I will be installing Linux with KDE 3.2 on my iBook: I like choice, I am willing to learn things so that I can be more efficient, and the cozy, closed world of OS X is just too limited for what I want (and like) to do. Does this mean that I hate OS X or dispise it? No, it is just the wrong tool for the job in my case. No need for flames (or caps), just a rational assessment of my needs vs. those that OS X provides. Go forth and be happy with OS X, just realize that it is not the uberOS of the Gods. And please stop shouting.
As for the "best of Unix": Apple did the right thing from a business point of view. They realized that they could make all kinds of money without having to give anything in return by using BSD, and then even get to charge premium for a glossy GUI pasted over that. Basically, this is another case where the BSD people are helping a major corporation get richer (remember Micorosoft and the TCP stack?) while getting peanuts in return. If Apple had used Linux for the base system, they would have been forced to be part of the community and give full value in return instead of getting away with dropping a bone here and there. And they still could have sold that flashy GUI on top, made lots of money, made their users happy, whatever.
It is Apple's job (no pun intended) to be greedy: They are bound to shareholder value just like Microsoft. I just wonder if it should be our job to give them a free ride -- for any meaning of "free".
If you continue to base your opinions on a copy of Windows 3.1 you once used ten years ago - OS 9 was arguably even worse
I didn't post above, but I currently use both XP and 2000 daily. Make your own decisions but I also use OS X daily and it's far and away the most pleasant working environment I've encountered to date. That doesn't mean it's perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but that's not the point now, is it.
As for "OS 9," um, who's talking about OS 9?
If you want Unix, install Linux... FreeBSD... SuSE... Debian... Lycoris... Lindows... There are choices in the Windows world.
Well, by the time I've finished clicking through the (Continue) buttons in an OS X install I've managed to install both the entire GUI environment and the entire Unix OS. I can also install other Unix systems on Mac hardware, but frankly I've got everything I need right here.
I don't need to install anything else except Logic Pro 6, Ableton Live, MetaSynth, ArtMatic Pro, MetaTrack, Voyager, VTrack, Absynth, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, OmniDiskSweeper, Studiometry, FileMakerPro, Adobe Creative Suite, LaunchBar, MySQL, Perl 5.8.3, Fink, Plone, Keynote, BBEdit, FastTrack Schedule Pro, Sonasphere, Toast 6, ZBrush, and a few more but I'll get to those tomorrow.
I run all these (plus my email, internet, contacts management, calendaring, etc) in the same operating environment; not an emulation shell, not after dual-booting, but in the very same operating system and simultaneously.
To top it all off OS X comes with a full set of developer tools, documentation and optimization utilities, plus Cocoa+Obj-C is a match made in heaven.
There's no need to pay Apple for a decent Unix experience.
Well, I believe there is. I enjoy the ability to support quality whether it's a film, a restaurant, a music venue, a book, clothing, my neighborhood, an artist, etc. every single day.
The hardware is just a hunk of material until you've discovered/designed an interface with which to use it. Solely on a base consumer level, I'm very happy to pay Apple for what is, in daily practice, a superior computer operating system. From the level of both a technology consultant and a media creator, the solution is very simple.
OS X is a very impressive "Holy Grail" for all my current activities. Strap me in because I'm ready to get to work.
that the fan isn't as loud as in the previous model. It uses the newer G4, so there is some hope. But the quiet old fanless iMacs were really nice.
A phone book?
Wouldn't that ruin the 'design' that apple spend so much time on? But this is apple so when they nickle and dime you to death it is a Good Thing!
Just Damn.
This is the first consumer Mac update in five months.
What are they up to? Where is my dual G5 PowerBook anyway?
.. then I found that this clear plastic eMac stand COST $95 (you can find it when you select the eMac; price is from apple.ca)
Note to readers: that's 95 Canadian dollars, or 59 US dollars. US$95 would indeed be a lot, but US$59 seems reasonable for a well designed accessory that does its job well and adds certain convenience. Feel free to skip it and buy an aftermarket stand, or make your own, or use an old text book.
There's no need to pay Apple for a decent Unix experience.
...
Just like there was no need to pay Sun, or SGI, or MIPS, or DEC
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Add some software to your precious Dell, bucko:
$679 will get you XP Home instead of Pro, no office suite, no movie software, no firewire & no optical mouse.
Add all that stuff and you are looking at $898 now. Your Dell is a whopping $100 cheaper, which will be quickly eaten up by your Anti Virus & Firewall software you'll have to buy and you still don't have anything close to iDVD or Garage Band. Add Adobe Photo Album to make up for your lack of iPhoto and your Dell becomes $925
I'd bet that a high percentage of entry level consumers, if presented with both alternatives in a FUD free enviroment would pick the eMac over the Dell.
Ta-da yourself.
Besides, what source doesn't Apple share already, that a GNU license would force them to? Darwin is totally open. You can download the source here.
If you want Unix, install Linux or FreeBSD. Install SuSE, install Debian, Lycoris or even Lindows for that matter. There are choices in the Windows world.
Pssst. Linux isn't Windows. Just thought you should know.
http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html
It tells about how you can use an nvramrc to change graphic-options on your mac to enable monitor spanning (as apposed to monitor mirroring). It works on Radeon 7500 eMacs but it is unclear yet whether this trick will work on these new eMacs. Let's hope so....
I don't understand why apple does not produce something like the eMac without the hassle of a monitor. I don't expandability, nor do I need another screen to clutter the desk. All that I want is a small box that has the guts of the eMac that I can connect to the monitor that I all ready have. One would think that apple could produce something like this with a single pci slot and make it available for less than the price of a comparable eMac.
No iMovie,iDVD or GarageBand on the Dell is there? Those apps kick the crap out of comparible apps for Windows. Those are the apps I use a lot. I consider more than just cost when buying a machine.
"I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX
No Virtual PC yet for my g5, though. My solution was to build an athlon system, in case i desperately need to do something in x86 land (specifically, play GTA:VC, but hey, i could do work on it too)
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
Let's compare:
I picked the Dimension 2400 ($599 US as of 4/14/04)
Note: I did not do the XP Pro update, the Digital media pack update (w/o Plus!), JukeBox/Picture Studio Updates.....if I did?
Grand Total? $948 Dollars.
The conclusion is this, the eMac is competitively priced, fully featured and is aimed at the same market as the Dimension 2400, people who are probably buying their first computer ever or want a second computer (or third =)) for a child/spouse etc...
Similarly the 4600 can be done this way, but the price ends up at $1109 using the same criteria as listed above with the following exceptions on which Dell has the lead:
In the 4600 the following are superior and standard: Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.8GHz w/533MHz FSB Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
The big weakness is the Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2 but at least with the 4600 you can upgrade it through Dell with the:
Again these machines (especially the 2400 and the eMac) are geared to people who want Dell/Apple to ship them a computer that just works, out of the box. You could swap in better components (RAM, HD, Optical Drives (for both), PCI cards/processors for the Dell (I am speaking general components) but this is not in the scope of my comparison as I would imagine they are not of concern of the intended purchasing audience. I hope you find this to be an interesting read, and take it with an open mind.
I also want to acknowledge that I know the previous post was intended to be funny =)
-pH1nk
Argh. The laws of science be a harsh mistress.
>Stress is the reason I dumped my Windows PC after being a strict user since Windows 3.0. If MS can't make a decent OS, I don't want to give them any more money.
...now, do I buy that new eMac, or do I wait for the new iMac (or even its replacement)?
Heck, even if you pirate Windows, you're still giving them market share, and that's bad in itself.
Go Apple!
Get into your time machine and go get a G5 eMac for $600!
Dammit, why did my last mod point expire yesterday??
A Pentium 4 is much faster than a P3 at the same Mhz.
Bull. Fucking. Shit.
Sorry, Intel significantly increased the pipeline length of the P4 so they could more easily ramp up the clock speed and sell "faster" processors to the ignorant public (like you, apparently). What does a longer pipeline mean? Much higher penalty when the CPU predicts wrong and has to throw out the whole thing and start over (this is an extreme simplification). In real world terms, it means the P4 is measurably SLOWER than the P3 at the same clock speed. I remember this was a pretty big deal when the P4 first came out.
Jesus, if you're going to troll on a Mac story, at least get your facts straight. Intel processor generations were generally faster than the previous generation up until the P4. 286->386, 386->486, 486->Pentium, Pentium->Pentium Pro (except for 16-bit code). Pentium Pro->PentiumII was a slight step back due to reduced cache speed. PentiumII->PentiumIII I guess was some improvement, though my recollection was that it basically just added a few more multimedia instructions and bumped up the clock speed. PentiumIII->Pentium4 was a significant step back.
Still, my real world experience tells me that for compute-intensive applications, nothing but a G5 on the Mac side can come even close to equivalent Intel/AMD. My 733 MHz G4 does most things much slower than a 750 MHz Duron I used to have. MP3 encoding, compiling the same code, running simulations, etc. I honestly wonder if that whole "G4 is twice as fast as a similar P2/3" that was being pushed 4 years ago was a bunch of hogwash. Not in my experience. Altivec, maybe, but nothing else. Like I said G5 is another story though. That fucker screams.
I use Macs because of the user experience, like most people here. I get my cake (great interface, commercial apps) and eat it too (Terminal). Weee!
You'll be much happier with vi.
the eMac was originally introduced for "education", it was in fact only available via edu channels, i.e. at your university bookstore or via the Apple Store after you proved you were a teacher, student or school administrator. After initial sales, they opened up the buying to 'everyone'.
Think of it as the VW bug of the Mac line... the sad thing is it's now 30% or so faster than the original iMac that I spent a cool grand more on a couple of years back... that's tech for ya.
Unfortunately there are many applications (including a few decent games) that don't boot, or run buggy from X running "classic." My faithful laser printer doesn't print from X running "classic." I can understand why it wouldn't work with a G5, but how difficult would it really be to allow dual-boot with the remaining G4 computers?
This was a pretty big deal when the P4 first came out. But that was 3 years ago -- now the P4 has better IPC than the P3 -- faster bus, improved branch prediction & register allocation, etc
ADD A FAN! Put a nice 120mm fan at the bottom of the case that is thermally controlled. The cube may have to be a little bigger this time but I would still buy it.
Toast 6 is indispensable to me, and far and away the best CD burning app I've ever come across on any platform.
BBEdit was nice, but I prefer SubEthaEdit for what I do (mainly html and css).
My list of apps to go on after a nuke and pave:
NcFTP - can't live without it. CLI only, but that's the way to go with ftp for me. Used to have to build from source, but there's an OS X binary installer available now to make my life easier.
SubEthaEdit - great icon, great app. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Works great as a standalone editor, but the shared edit features have been useful from time to time.
Toast Titanium 6 - indispensable. Perfection in a CD burning app.
Adium - necessary on my humble 600Mhz iBook which is still going strong. It has a small footprint and is much less CPU heavy than iChat or and of the other clients.
TinyFugue - again, used to have to build this from source, but no longer. I've tried other MUD clients, but this one keeps me loyal.
Photoshop 7 - can't afford the Creative Suite yet, so on the old one (which is still perfectly fine). Runs pretty well on my battered G3 iBook.
XRegion - simple app that allows me to change the region code on my DVD drive (firmware upgraded to unlock/uncripple it).
That's pretty much it - music, mail and browsing is taken care of with the apps Apple provides.
Oh, I almost forgot: Quake III Arena. Ok, so it's a little ropey on my iBook, but it's good for a couple of quick DMs on q3dm17 while waiting in airport lounges.
It plays better on my G5 box, but then I'd expect no less! The vital app install list is the same for the G5 except for two more apps that facilitate my living: Final Cut Pro 4 and DVD Studio Pro 1.5.
Make sure the machine is not connected to the Internet when the installation completes!
Otherwise, you'll get a virus anyway, even if you don't touch the computer.
Yes, my friends: it's that pathetic.
"Oooh, does that mean we get to kick some puffy white mad zionist butt?"