Exactly....The empeg was (is!) cool because it wasn't (isn't!) a PC, it's an embedded system that boots incredibly quickly, if you want a sub $500 system, I think PC in a car is the only way to achieve this.

As andy said, some of the parts are obsolete, most importantly the processor is no longer available, and the replacements are BGA technology, I don't think it's a case of modifying the processor board, but a task in relaying out the board - I design CAD (EDA) software specifically for designing circuits and PCB's, and I couldn't even begin to imagine the complexity of the reengineering task. Prototypes are expensive, especially if you have BGA parts where you can't mount them yourself and you have to have them professionally mounted.

The software would almost certainly require modifications to work on the new processor - and you'd be at the mercy of sonic-blue forever more.

I'm still not convinced that the market is ready for another empeg 'as is', I love my empeg but it's still a niche market device until the point that mp3's replace CD's as a mass market media.

Technology moves fast, and it's certainly overtaken the empeg that we all love, if I was looking for a new empeg replacement it'd have to have all the features of the current one + other stuff, such as colour display, 100 mbit ethernet, or maybe wireless lan with a removable faceplate....Without serious finacial backing I don't think you'd get anywhere...

Adrian