If I might chime in, there are good reasons to prefer a Rio over a computer with a soundcard. No doubt you have spoken of them here. Regarding alternative means of control, the reasons to have it are numerous:

- if the remote control isn't available there's no practical way to navigate over a large collection

- dial control and buttons as a means of navigation leave much to be desired. Even with the remote it's awkward.

- the Rio may be playing to speakers multiple rooms at once, including your computer room.

- not possible to use the Rio in novel ways, such as an alarm clock, or control via your TV screen.

and finally

- the display is awful.

Seeing the Rio as merely another component in one's stereo cabinet to be controlled in conventional ways is, IMHO, shortsighted. So much more is possible. I'd hope that Empeg sees this as well and adds some server-side control features in a future release of the firmware, should one be forthcoming.

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Reed Esau, Evergreen CO
http://jreceiver.sourceforge.net