As the new iMac appeared on stage yesterday, the model’s low-cost co-star of these past 30 months has dropped out of the dramatis personae of Macs.  The eMac, the CRT all-in-one introduced in April 2002, was at first available only to education buyers.  It is now once more available only to education buyers.  Apple has removed the eMac from its online store for regular consumers and its product navigation links.  The eMac product page now redirects to a similar one for education.  As for retail, AppleInsider reports that resellers should expect no more models.

Act I:  When Apple released the eMac, three months after the New iMac, it was praised for being a low-cost G4 alternative.  Popular demand quickly made it available to regular consumers.  At $1099, it bridged the price gap between the $1499 iMac G4 and the $799 iMac G3.  When the iMac G3 was finally discontinued, the eMac became the cheapest Mac, and then for a time the cheapest SuperDrive computer from any brand.  In fact, the eMac was, in its physical form and other respects, the true successor to the old iMac.

Act II:  Then, when Apple put out the Mac mini in January 2005, the eMac’s future became uncertain.  The eMac was down to $799, a good price for the whole package, but it couldn’t touch the Mac mini’s $499 price point or three-pound weight.  The Mac mini was especially attractive to halo-effect switchers and people who had old displays kicking around.  The arrangement seemed to mess with product differentiation, so it looked like there wasn’t room for both of them on the billing.

After nine months, one of them gave, and it was the eMac.  Bill Palmer will not be happy.

Act III:  Schools and educators will continue to enjoy the availability of the discount whole package that is the eMac.  As long as they need that kind of product, the eMac can continue to impress, off Broadway.