Well, USB would help you out some... As it is now, the files come accross the wireless link, get processed by emplode, and go back over the wireless link. USB would save you the seccond traversal of the slow and congested wireless link. It would also defeat the entire point of having a wireless network. Perhaps you can run emplode over VNC/remote destop, or use mp3tofid?

While smbclient would be a neat hack, I don't think it's worth spending time on. Loading the player isn't something we all do on a regular basis. The idea is to hold your entire collection, not a subset that needs to be rotated. For the first few big syncs, just plug a cable into your laptop. Adding an album or two later isn't a big deal if the speed isn't blazing fast...

Matthew