No, I'm pretty sure he said nothing of the sort. After reading this entire thread (love that email digest :), it seems to me that the positions can be summed up this way:

Empeg: We're getting new antireflective panels, which were not part of the original product design, and we're offering them at a highly subsidized price to early adopters because we're grateful for their early support of the product, and we realize that they may be having difficulties reading the Empeg display in very sunny areas of the world.

Dredd: It's not good enough to offer them at a highly subsidized price; they should be sent for free to anybody who is experiencing frequent problems reading their displays in sunlight, because not being able to read the display in sunlight is a defect in the product design.

That is a VERY accurate description of the positions. (Although I would also concur that "product design defects" are a warranty item, but that's a different way of saying what you're saying above).

I'm not advocating that Empeg send every owner a panel, only those owners who are having enough problems that they ask for one. Given that (per Rob) "only a handful" have complained, this CAN'T cost them that much to do. The only time it could fall into the economic hardship category for them is if way more people than he is letting on have actually complained. I see no reason to believe he's lying, so I don't understand the hesitation in coughing up on the panels for those who ask.

D