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In tune with the industry trend toward smaller, more efficient PCs, Apple Computer Inc. has now phased the bulky CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor out of its product line, moving entirely to LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Though more efficient than CRTs, LCDs have not matched them in sales owing to their higher price. For the same price shoppers get a larger screen with CRTs. Apple has however decided to replace the last CRT-based computer in its line, the eMac, with a low-priced iMac desktop PC. Apple will sell its 17-inch iMac with an 80G byte hard drive and 1.83GHz Core Duo processor from Intel Corp. for US$899, a price available only to certified students and teachers. The retail version will sell for $1,299, featuring the same processor with more storage capacity and the ability to burn CDs. Both models take advantage of the thin format of LCDs to pack the entire computer behind the monitor, in a sandwich just two inches thick. Apple's move reinforces an industry-wide move from CRTs to LCDs. Though comparable in visual performance to LCDs, CRTs suffer from much larger physical size and power consumption. Apple is the fifth-largest PC vendor in the U.S., with 3.7 per cent market share, according to IDC. Though Apple has ceased production of the eMac, it will continue to sell the CRT-based desktop while its inventory lasts.
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