Further to DIGNAN's post, I am concerned as well about "upgrades" and future support.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but the empeg was designed to resist obsolescence, was it not? It was designed to be infinitely (within reason, of course) expandable. The empeg was designed to be upgradeable to keep up with products coming out years after it. Its partly how I justified the price-tag.

This is NOT in keeping with the practice that large consumer electronics corporations exercise, who would put themselves out of business if they designed hardware that diminished yearning/need for upgrades. They profit from product cycles whereby the savvy hardware freak will want to upgrade every year or so. Hold back features and upgrades for the next generation, and weed out support for the old product. Herd the consumer into the Latest Version.

Working for a company that was a happy small shop of about 30 people until two years ago, when a large corporation bought us up to use as a "regional office" things definitely changed in similar ways. I can pretty much imagine what things will happen to the product and the culture, the only question is how soon.



The best of the best of the existing shop will take their packages, let themselves be cashed-out, and move on to better things in a small-shop setting, just like before -- the only difference is they'll have a ton of their own venture capital the next go-round.

Working out of your garage on a dream and making it real is a high thats hard to get over. You can't put the same people in a large shop, and all the crap that it entails and expect they'll continue to be productive and innovative -- or happy.




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MK2 #141, green, 12GB