UPS delivered Mark2 nr 900000009 at 13:33 today. A quick assessment:

it's a beauty . . . . The new facial is excellent and blends in very well with the dash. I really liked the simpleness of the Mark1, but this beats everything: Really wonderful. The display hasn't suffered at all form the facial work. The handle looks great too. For looks Mark scores A++. Congrats to empeg: great original design; fabulous!

rotary knob . . . Good idea; very practical. Needs to get used too as it reacts very quickly. It seems to sit a bit tight (tends to stick when pressed) but this may improve over time. Empeg need to be careful on this.

software . . . is unstable, but an update has already been posted. It's downloading right now.

installation . . . is a snap. Got myself a converter block from BMW (was only US$ 10) to hook up the Euro connector. Though the BMW converter is a pretty bulky gizmo itself, the cabling at Marks' back is much lighter than Emma's and slides into the dash easily. The BMW connector has an additional connector that doesn't match the extra connector on the Mark2, which was a bit confusing The BMW one is well documented: it is to connect the speakers : the Mark2 addtional connector may well be for the tuner module? Maybe I should read the manual first

blue display . . . As Hugo said, a bit too dark. Too dark to dim, anyhow (Mark2 allows gradual dimming from 100%). Auto dim (when turning on the headlights) doesn't work (yet?). I'll need to look into this.

emplode / USB . . . is very stable. Uploaded some 15 CD's without difficulty. Can't use the playlist transfer utility as I parted from Emma a long time ago. My MP3s are safely stored on the second disk that I'll install later.

sound . . . was disappointing, as the mark2 reverted to zero settings. I'll use the coming days to tune Mark2 properly again.

stickers . . . no linux bumper stickers this time, but empeg logo's

other . . . Mark2 feels lighter than Emma, but this could be because I haven't fitted the second disk yet. It'll need to prove itself before I break the (single) warranty seal. Some have said that it slides into the docking station smoother now, but I don't think so. Mark is clearly scratched already on the top (much more than Emma after a year). Mark2 also seems to be sitting in the dash a bit more recessed than Emma. In my BMW, it could stick out 1/8" further. No gap though, along the top edge as with Emma. The left hand side of the docking station sits really tight; the right hand side is a bit loose. Have checked the prongs, but these seem to sit OK.

easter eggs . . . I haven't found any. The playlist was empty on arrival: no give-aways as with Emma. Not even a tiny MP3 with Hugo introducing the team or pronouncing Fiennes

. . . need to change software now . . . . more later

Henno
ex 00120; scored Mark2 nr: 009;