Apple cuts flat-screen iMac, eMac Prices

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Computer Inc. has cut the prices on two flat-screen iMacs and two eMacs, one week after reducing prices on its high-end Power Mac line of desktop computers and flat-panel display monitors.

The cuts come as computer makers compete for sales in a market that has been weak for more than two years. Earlier this month Apple reported past quarter sales of its flagship Macintosh computers that were about flat with the year-ago period.

Apple beefed up the performance features of its 15-inch and 17-inch iMac models and dropped prices by $200, and made similar price cuts on its eMac 17-inch flat CRT (cathode ray tube) models, said Greg Joswiak, vice president of hardware product marketing at Apple.

The 17-inch wide screen iMac model now costs $1,799 and includes a 1 gigahertz (GHz) Macintosh G4 processor, which runs at a speed of one billion cycles per second, up from 800 megahertz (MHz); faster memory, graphics capabilities and hard drive; new internal support for fast wireless options, including the capability to wirelessly synchronize with a personal digital assistant or cell phone; and a super-drive that allows users to burn both CDs and DVDs, he said.

The 15-inch iMac now costs $1,299 and includes an 800 MHz G4; a larger hard drive; and a combo drive that allows users to read and write CDs and watch DVD movies, according to Apple.

At $999, the eMac 17-inch flat CRT, whose price was lowered by $100, is now the lowest-priced Apple G4 computer, Joswiak said. It includes stereo speakers, an optical drive and a combo hard drive.

The price of the eMac with super drive capability was cut by $200 and is now $1,299, he said.

A week ago, the company shaved $200 off the price of the 1 GHz G4, to $1,499 and lowered the price on the dual-processor 1.25 GHz Power Mac G4 to $1,999 from $2,499.

"Like last week, we're offering a combination of technical improvements and improved affordability, which is what customers want," Joswiak said.

© Reuters