Here's what I posted to Trae in response to his reply to Marcus:

Linux Linux Linux! Why do some people hear that word and lose all mental faculties?

I've followed the empeg's history since it was Hugo's in-car project and a saleable product wasn't even a glint on the horizon. I've followed the entire history on the unofficial empeg BBS (http://empeg.comms.net), and my brother owns two empegs (a Mark I and a Mark II). So I do feel in a position to comment.

To me, it seems your review revolves around the fact that the car player runs Linux. One of your basic assumptions is that because the car player runs Linux, therefore only those people who run Linux will, or should, be able to use it. You apparently haven't given any consideration to the fact that the bulk of people who actually buy this product use Windows, and therefore would be able to use the perfectly acceptable Windows-based software.

And, indeed, if you had done any research whatsoever, you would have found that there is a Java front-end developed for the emptool program which runs on Linux, Mac OS, Windows, Sun and elsewhere. This piece of software has been developed by enthusiasts exactly to fill the need for a non-Windows product. It duplicates the Emplode program in pretty much all respects, and in some it works better! It's a Sourceforge project. What more could you want?

I also find your mention of the player's software version - 1.01 - highly amusing. Just in case anyone, including yourself, was confused about this, the Linux kernel running on the machine is 2.2 (I think - it may even be later than that). Anyone who has followed the beta process from Beta 7 would know that even version 1 had amazing functionality, worked almost flawlessly, and had a long and proud history behind it. Version 1.1 is going to blow your mind. Your frames of reference seem to be peculiarly absent.

And, on a final note, did you pay anything to get that front panel replaced? Was there any quibble from empeg about sending it back? I'll bet you the answer is no to both questions. Try finding another company who sell car stereos that could even begin to offer that kind of service. Once again you seem compelled to find reasons to condemn the empeg-car player, to the extent that you're blinded to conventional experience.

Read the BBS. You'll find that you are amongst the majority - an end-user who wanted great quality car audio and was prepared to pay what it was worth. You'll also find people willing to help you with any problem you have, from installation to software hacking. You'll find a whole bunch of people who only say great things about Linux products. Because the empeg-car player is a great use of Linux, and both of these deserve praise. Writing damning articles because of insufficient knowledge on your part hardly makes your position as a Linux advocate tenable.


I too wish that some Linux advocates wouldn't froth at the mouth every time it's mentioned. It is said that Neal Stephenson used the word "Finux" in his novel Cryptonomicon because he knew that if he'd called it Linux and got even one tiny detail out, the loony fringe of the Linux community would have been baying for his blood.

Sad. Don't these people know that getting a life is also an open-source project?



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